Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 October 2025

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs

Quotas, Common Fisheries Policy and Sustainability Impact Assessment: Discussion

2:00 am

Mr. Aodh O'Donnell:

I will defer to Mr. Rihan in that regard but as a representative of the fishing industry, there were a number of us in Spain that week when it was granted. We held up the access to the Irish box for almost six weeks. We kept the Norwegians out, who wanted access for the second consecutive year on an unfettered basis. The deal was done on the eve of St. Patrick's Day. I do not know who signed off on it but we did not benefit greatly from it.