Mr. Brendan Byrne:

The other thing that needs to be focused on is that the competency of negotiating with Iceland rests with the European Commission. It will be looking at larger geopolitical issues including the fact that Iceland has committed to holding a referendum on possible membership of the EU. There are a lot of geopolitical factors other than fish. Ireland and the representatives of the fishing sector have to make a decision. Should we stand alone in opposing an agreement or should we try to shape it, as Mr. Lynch has said, by forcing Iceland to reduce its overfishing, possibly giving an opportunity to the starved fishing sector here? There are much bigger geopolitical issues at play.