Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

In response to the Deputy's first question I am not aware of the detail of how navies operate in other countries. We have an obligation to protect Irish assets, namely, the exclusive Irish fishery area. I have outlined the measures we are taking and the resources we are deploying to do that. It is not true to say now, whatever might have been so in the past, that the greater percentage of vessels boarded are Irish. Statistics for the last three years indicate a slightly higher percentage of foreign vessels than Irish ones boarded and inspected.

While it may not be politically popular to say so, the statistics do not indicate that foreign vessels are more likely to be in breach of fisheries legislation. The opposite tends to be the case. Irish vessels have proportionately been subject to more warnings and detention arising from Naval Service inspections than their numbers should warrant.

See this speech in context