Mr. John Lynch:

Deputy Mac Lochlainn asked about the Hague preferences. We think the Hague preferences should be given a far better legal standing within the Common Fisheries Policy. We should not have to go to Brussels every year and renegotiate the Hague Preferences time and again. Everybody knows they are there and that they only apply to Ireland now. They used to apply to Ireland and the UK. With the UK leaving the EU, Ireland has lost some percentages in its entitlement under the Hague preferences. It is a small amount but it is a loss nonetheless. Much of our Hague preferences fish used to come from the UK. That is how that happened. The Hague preferences should have a stronger legal standing within the Common Fisheries Policy and within the EU in general. We are of the view that we should not have to go with the begging bowl every year in the context of the Hague preferences. That is not fair. As I mentioned earlier, there are some Hague preferences that we do not invoke. We should invoke the one relating to sole f+g, because we are so desperate for that species. Many vessels are reliant on it and do not have the quota to fish. They have to stop fishing from time to time to allow for the next month's quota to come on stream in order that they can go back to sea. That makes things difficult for them.

On the fuel prices, the money is there but we need the will to get it distributed. The money is in the minimal financial assistance funding, MFA. The Commission gave permission and invoked Article 26(2) of the MFA funding programme. That allows some of the funding to be used as a fuel subsidy, which is desperately needed by vessels at the moment. The Commission estimates that the European fleet as a whole is viable at fuel costing 60 cent or 70 cent, which is what it was before the crisis. Anything above that is a problem for the fleet. It was far above €1. It has gone down somewhat, but it is still in the high 80s or low 90s per litre. That is still a huge problem for the fleet in Ireland. It is not true to say otherwise.