Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ring. The national quota we have is fixed but it can go up and down each year for different stocks depending on what the scientific advice is on how much of a stock can be sustainably fished in that year without undermining its breeding and future strength. The actual percentage of the stock is fixed at national level. It has also been fixed for many years on the basis of the different segments, namely the size of the boat, etc. What is more important than the size of the boat has been the historic track record of different vessels as well.

Deputy Ring mentioned resistance. The most resistance will come from within the fleet itself because no more than at European level where it is a very difficult battle to get any change to quotas because it requires two thirds of members states to agree, at national level it is fixed as well. Deputy Ring makes a very fair case for the inshore sector but if one segment is getting some more quota then it means other segments of the fleet are giving up that quota at the same time. There is always resistance to that, which is no more than what you would expect.

There has been some change to the mackerel share in recent years. A number of years ago, 400 tonnes of mackerel were set aside to be fished by hook and line, which is primarily the inshore fleet. There was some reallocation but, incidentally, reallocation is still the subject of a legal challenge in court because it was contested by some fishers who did not agree with the way it was allocated. Requests have been made, and it is something I am looking at. It is under consideration now as to whether there is a case for reconsidering the allocation of quota. Last year, as a result of a long battle at European Council level on securing extra mackerel quota, which had previously been fished by Denmark, we secured a permanent increase in the quota. That was the first permanent increase we secured since the allocations were set in the early 1980s. I accept that this does not negate the impact of Brexit but it was a permanent increase on where we were at the previous year. On the back of that, the inshore sector in particular has asked, since we got that bit extra, if we could look again at whether the 400 tonnes quota for the hook and line could be increased. That is something that I continue to consider. I take the point Deputy Ring makes in terms of his advocacy. I am aware that the hook and line fishery has been particularly important in Mayo because it is the area that has been most actively fished.

Deputy Ring makes a valid point about fuel costs. For marine gas oil generally, there is no tax on it other than VAT, which is reclaimable. It is not like other fuels where there is excise. There is no excise on marine gas oil. I accept that it is an issue for some in the inshore sector who do not use marine gas oil. The two schemes I ran last year were a way of trying to get additional income to them to reflect the additional pressures that were there. I take the Deputy's point and his advocacy in regard to that.