Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and the officials who are here today. The main bulk of my questions come from the fishing sector. Last week, when I met some officials I said I had been at a meeting a few days previously. It was the AGM of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation. The best people to educate me are the fishermen on the ground. If we were speaking about farming, it would be the farmers. Several weeks ago, the worst fears of the pelagic fishermen were yet again realised when the ICES advice on mackerel was once again to cut the TAC by 22%. Why should countries such as Ireland have to suffer further cuts when they have been fishing based on the scientific advice?

Irish fishermen were dealt a blow when Brexit brought about a 25% slash in mackerel TACs. Last Christmas they were given a payment, which was the equivalent of one year's loss for the lifetime loss of the quota. With ever-increasing costs, something needs to be done to help these businesses. Some of these vessel owners made massive investments in renewing their vessels. They have been dealt this hammer blow.

There is huge frustration. Their argument to me is that Ireland is not standing up and not allowing Norway access to the rich fishing ground off the west coast of Ireland. In the spring of 2025, Norway will want to harvest 200,000 or maybe 300,000 tonnes of blue whiting. It looks to me sometimes a bit like agriculture and the Mercosur deal. Will we be sold down the Swanee eventually? That is my worry about the Mercusor deal when it comes to beef. It looks like the fishermen have been sold down the river to Norway and others. Why, I cannot understand.

When will there be a proper fight by this Government for our fishermen? Ireland is slightly over 3% of the TAC for blue whiting, 68,000 tonnes, and the vast majority of that stock is born and bred in our waters. Where is the backbone for Ireland to stand up in Europe and seek zonal attachment for fish in our waters? Why can Ireland not make a claim for 30% of the blue whiting and still be fishing within the TAC? It is no different from what the Norwegians have done in mackerel fishing. This is how the Brexit deal was done. Zonal attachment was used. Why can it not be the same when trying to protect our fishermen in rural communities? What is the Minister doing about this? Are he and our Government just going to sit back and allow this reckless overfishing by Norway, the Faroe Islands and Iceland? Why is the EU not putting sanctions in place to stop this? Will the Minister help out these fishermen with an aid package? That is not the ask of Michael Collins but the ask from the fishermen out there.

I would like to talk about BIM too, but maybe we will finish there first and talk about BIM after, if that is okay.