Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for his opening statement. We are where we are. I have spoken a good deal about fishing in the past 12 months. I have been talking to the fishing organisations and there is considerable anger and bitterness in regard to fishing. I have spoken at great length about that. It is now almost a year since the Brexit EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, TCA, was agreed between Mr. Barnier and Lord Frost, yet I am now told that not one hour of work has even begun between our Government, civil servants and fish producer groups on this critical Common Fisheries Policy review. This is despite the Minister and civil servants making several promises about the forthcoming reviews of the Common Fisheries Policy 2013, which expires on 31 December 2022.

It should be stated that Commissioner Sinkeviius appeared singularly unaware of just how devastating Brexit is for the Irish fishing industry and just how little of our own fish Irish fishers are allowed to catch under the rules of the CFP, even in our sovereign waters. Assurances were given by the Commissioner that a review would take place. I seek a date from the Minister for when this review will begin and demand that the fishing industries be given a role in this critically important enterprise.

We talk about burden sharing and much time has been spent discussing the position in which fishermen find themselves. I talk to them in Castletownbere, Glandore and Kinsale. These men, many of whom are probably the same age as me, trained for one thing only and fishing has been a tough life. They do not want to hear about decommissioning or tie up; they want to hear how they are going to fish their way out of the problems they are in at the moment. There are plenty of fish in the Irish Sea; there is no shortage of fish. It appears we have handed over about 85% of our fish to foreign vessels. That is where the problem lies. We are burden sharing. If we were granted equal rights and equal opportunities to the natural resource in abundance around our island nation, just how many fishermen would even consider decommissioning? None of them would because they want to fish. However, a few them will take the decommissioning option because they have had it and are burnt.

The Minister said he was doing his best which, in fairness, is great going forward. I fully support him if that is the case. Looking at what has happened in the past, not 30 years ago but in the past year or two, how can the political system have any confidence that we will be able to equal up with the French and others? Michel Barnier did a good deal for them and fair play to him. We have to hand it to him. How will Ireland deliver a good deal to its fishermen that will include a guarantee of burden sharing? There is no point in hearing words next week. We need to know, in figures, what is going to happen.

The Minister spoke about different fish quotas, which is fair enough. Is anybody in this country going to negotiate to secure a fair deal to Irish fishermen on bluefin tuna? The Europeans are raking it up all around us and laughing into our face, while we cannot get anything. That is just one of many issues I could raise. I will take a lot of convincing that the French, Spanish and others will settle for lower quotas and give higher quotas to Ireland given the shocking deal that was done behind our backs last year. Where will we pick up quotas for bluefin tuna and other species and achieve equalisation that gives our fishermen an opportunity to work? Many of them do not know what is around the corner and are basically facing unemployment. There are few options other than decommissioning and tying up their boats. That will kick the can down the road a bit. However, for the sake of people's incomes and livelihoods and to allow them to put food on the table and continue the work they have done so proudly down the years, the Minister will have to convince me and others that he and the Taoiseach are fighting for us to ensure the rest of Europe will take a bit of burden sharing.