Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Her intervention on that issue no doubt has a lot of support in rural parts of the country, not just in one sector of farming but across the board. I thank members for their questions, observations and input and thank Ms Nolan and Mr. Claridge for their participation. There is so much going on. We are all waiting with bated breath for what will come out this evening in relation to the Northern Ireland protocol, which is something in which this committee takes a keen interest. We are following that closely and we are also being proactive, meeting up with Vice-President Šefovi in early December in Brussels. A date has been secured and we will work a programme around that. Any guidance or signposting the witnesses can give us for that trip would be most helpful. It is a very comprehensive programme and the clerk has been working on that already.

The state of the Union address by Ursula von der Leyen focused a lot on health. We had a successful programme in the end with vaccination. There were initial concerns around the distribution of vaccines but that co-operation was positive. It is not new because the European mobility directive for health has been an important foundation for such co-operation. We can look at other ways to be proactive and creative in breaking down borders in terms of healthcare. This committee is keeping a close eye on the future of Europe. We are focused on what is going on in Poland and are looking at those areas specifically.

It was good to see the Commissioner in Killybegs recently. Ms Nolan attended and would have picked up on a lot of frustration in the fishing industry. She would have been struck by the heightened level of frustration. It is a contradiction because while rules and regulations are controlled by our Government, they are often introduced against a backdrop of what the Commission says and proposes. A fundamental of the European project and the big principle of interest to many on this committee is the principle of subsidiarity. What more subsidiarity could one get than part-time farmers in south Donegal who will do part-time work in Killybegs for fishing vessels landing with mackerel? Because of the rules, in the last few days many of these boats are landing outside the EU. They are not landing in Killybegs and all that work is lost. If we are looking to build communities at a local level, we need to grapple with the tension that is there, where the fishing industry feels its Government is not representing it and the administrators or people involved at an official level in Government are constantly quoting stuff coming from the Commission.

The rules that are in place are not workable for the fishing industry. Everything has to be done properly and people will point to this not being done in the past. The fishermen I deal with and the fishing vessel owners want to work within the rules but they have to work within something that is practicable and workable. I just wanted to mention that point and I am not expecting any feedback on it. I acknowledge the fact the Commissioner was in Killybegs in County Donegal because it is important for him to see and hear where the real tensions are. If any guidance or direction can be provided on that front, we would be open to hearing that.

Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe agus guím gach rath orthu. B'fhéidir go mbeimid le chéile in Brussels nó in Strasbourg i mí na Nollag. Táimid ag súil go mór leis sin.