Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the witnesses. I do not think we are really getting the message across. The fact is the profits of the industry have dropped by 83% this year alone. As Deputies Collins and Mac Lochlainn stated with regard to the inshore fishermen, the shellfish and crab industry has fallen through the roof. Fishermen are under fierce pressure. Processing plants are closing down around the country and thousands of jobs are going to be lost. Help is really needed. Fishermen are fishermen but each of them is also a small businesses. We have seen the way the Government rallied around small businesses when they were in trouble but it does not seem to be doing the same thing for fishermen, given the amount of help that is available.

One of the main issues we have is non-EU vessels operating in Irish waters without quotas. How can we do a deal or protect species when we have other vessels coming in and operating without any quotas? That seems to be ridiculous. What proposals has Ireland put forward to curtail these vessels in Irish waters?

My next question is rhetorical so the witnesses may not be able to answer it. It is Sinn Féin's policy to appoint a dedicated Minister for the marine. The complexities of agriculture and the marine are just too much, with Brexit and so on coming into it. That is an issue. I would appreciate it if the witnesses gave their opinion on that.

As Deputy Mac Lochlainn said, this is a fishing island, yet we do not have a member on the EU Committee on Fisheries. That is a scandal. We hit most of the headlines there ourselves.

On the negotiations with Norway, Ms McSherry said Ministers are not directly involved but the EU is involved. That means that, indirectly, we are in negotiations with Norway through the EU. The Norwegians, rather than using valuable mackerel for human consumption, are taking their quota and using it for fish bait and animal feed. That is scandalous and that is what we are up against. What is Ms McSherry's view on that?