Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in to discuss this important development and the overall threat to our fishing sector as a result of Brexit. As the Minister correctly pointed out, although agriculture and food are often discussed, the stakes for fishing - more than any other sector - are exceptionally high with regard to a potential downside or worst-case scenario from Brexit.

The Minister said the approach to negotiations would involve engagement and co-operation with the EU 27. Based on his engagement with other member states so far, is the Minister confident that a united approach is being taken? The maps provided to us today remind us how close British waters are to the Donegal coast and fishermen will enter British waters as soon as they leave port. In the worst-case scenario they will be cut off from them. Other EU fishing nations also face the spectre of being excluded from British waters and this will have an impact on fisheries management, on account of having to work within a smaller catchment area. There will be a negative impact similar to that of quotas so there needs to be a united front in the negotiations with Britain and Northern Ireland and a strong campaign to retain access to British waters. From a trade and tariff point of view, we should leverage the fact that 80% of fish caught by the UK fleet is exported to the EU. so that we can ensure a good outcome for our fishing sector. Can the Minister say how united the EU approach is and how strong the fishing lobby will be in the negotiation?

On voisinageand the decision to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention, the Minister has brought forward legislation which is on Second Stage in the Seanad. What is the Minister's approach now, given that Britain has indicated that it wants to withdraw from it altogether? What are his intentions for the Bill? Can he clarify where the Irish fleeting fleet stands in an EU context? What is the situation as regards access for other nations to Irish waters? What proportion of the fish in our waters do we catch? Does the Minister have any data on how important Irish and EU waters are to the British fishing fleet and the overall value of Irish fishing waters? Are there any figures for the annual fish catch within Irish waters and what proportion are caught by Irish boats?

My final question is on the engagement between the Government and the UK Government about jurisdiction on Lough Foyle. I believe there is agreement on operations in Carlingford but can the Minister give an update on the situation as regards Lough Foyle? What are the implications of a hard Brexit for the Lough Foyle area, given its unique circumstances?