Dr. Susan Steele:

I thank the Deputy. I wish I could agree with him. The issues we have with the audit and the audit findings would say there are issues in the industry and in the regulator. The audit, unfortunately, does not support that argument for being the strongest regulator in Europe.

I would like to bring attention back to the resourcing of the organisation, which we mentioned at the outset. I will run over it again because it is one of the keys. The key areas are the actual roles of the SFPA. Our remit is the regulation of the commercial sea-fishing industry in compliance with the CFP. We also regulate official controls for food safety for all wild and farmed fish, including classification of wild and farmed mollusc areas, and approval of Irish food processing establishments. That is a significant amount of work as well.

We do food trade controls including catch and health certification of Irish fish exports and import controls; a role which has grown and expanded substantially due to Brexit. We also look at the control of compliance with marine environmentally protected areas and infrastructure provision to facilitate both fishermen and vessel operators' compliance with their obligations, including development and support of their on-board IT systems to facilitate their statutory declarations. We cover these significant remits, which have important potential impacts for fishing today and for future generations but also for the Ireland's reputation with regard to seafood safety and Ireland's trade.

I will use the language "Keeping the wheels on the bus" to describe how we went through the exit of the UK from Europe. I would actually argue that we are not a well-resourced regulator. We would be well-resourced if we had one of those roles. In the Killybegs office, we have 18 fisheries officers who work incredibly hard. The Deputy will be aware of the size of County Donegal, however. We welcome the fact that we are opening a new office in Greencastle but those 18 fisheries officers are carrying out vessel inspections in pelagic and demersal landings. They are carrying out all the food safety controls, all the mollusc sampling and sampling areas, all that import trade, for instance, catch and health certification of Irish fish exports, and then also doing the additional Brexit workload. They are looking at the marine protected areas and also working with the infrastructure provision for fisheries with regard to data and IT systems. We could act as a regulator in reducing what could be future risks for Ireland with the remit we have. We are grateful to the State for the resources as the remit has grown. I would not use the words "well-resourced" for us, however.

With regard to effectiveness, we have committed staff who carry out every aspect of the remit to the best of their abilities. It is not just pelagic landings they are dealing with. They are dealing with a huge number of different issues that can blow up at any time of day or night in different areas. I thank the Deputy for his words on the role of the SFPA. There is a perception that exists. With what we are looking after, however, and the value of the seafood industry we regulate and potential sustainability and reputational food safety damages that can occur, I would not necessarily say we are as strong or as resourced as we should be.

Regarding the industry, again, I am very grateful, which I said in my previous appearance before the committee. I have worked with the fishing industry and aquaculture industry for my entire career and in the vast majority of cases, there is significant compliance. Rogue operators or those who seek to get economic benefit from breaking the rules, however, damage every person who is in the industry. It is, therefore, important that we are resourced.

The Deputy raised questions about the judicial review. I am nervous about summarising it. I know he summarised some of it. It is a comprehensive review. A number of factors were taking part here. The SFPA was delaying approval while waiting for confirmation and clarification from the commission. That was at the grounds of it. We are working, of course, within what the courses recommended going forward. I hope I have addressed some of the items raised by the Deputy. I do not know if Mr. Kinneen wants to come in on some of the points.