Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Apologies have been received from Deputy Carthy for whom Deputy Mac Lochlainn is substituting.

Before we begin, can I remind committee members that, in the context of the current Covid-19 restrictions, microphone positions in the committee room and speaking slots will be prioritised for members of the committee. There are unmicrophoned seats in each committee room which can be used and all members can participate remotely in each meeting. The secretariat can issue invitations to join meetings remotely, that is, from outside the committee room but from within the parliamentary precincts.

I also remind members to turn off their mobile phones. Members are requested to ensure that for the duration of the meeting, their mobile phones are turned off completely or switched to airplane mode. I ask committee members not to just put their phones in silent mode because that will maintain the level of interference with the broadcasting system.

The agenda for today is a pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council engagement and scrutiny of EU legislative proposal COM (2020) 668. The purpose of today's meeting is to engage with Deputy McConalogue, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in advance of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels on 15 and 16 December. The Minister will also be briefing the committee on EU legislative proposal COM (2020) 668 regarding fixing for 2021 the fishing opportunities for certain Irish stock.

I welcome the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, and his officials. Dr. Cecil Beamish from the Department is attending in person and Mr. Dominic Rihan, economic and strategic services director at Bord Iascaigh Mhara, and Mr. Ciaran Kelly, director of fisheries ecosystems advisory services at the Marine Institute, are attending remotely. I ask the Minister to make his opening statement.