Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

On Deputy McGinley's comment, I realise that last year, especially the latter part of the year, was not great for Killybegs. Quite an amount of fish was landed for processing in Scotland and other places, but this spring is a very busy season for pelagic fish landings into Killybegs. So far about 11,000 tonnes of pelagic fish are legally recorded as having been landed into Ireland for processing in the factories this year, most of which would have come into Killybegs.

Ireland has responsibilities with regard to its national quota. Irish fishermen, through their activities in Scotland, breach the national quota, which is why there are repercussions for us and why the European Commission told me what it would do. There are repercussions on two levels. The national quota must be amended to reflect the illegal overfishing and Scotland, rather than Ireland, must take prosecutions against the individuals involved. We must look after it in terms of the quota.

Deputy O'Donovan and Deputy Eamon Ryan spoke about the necessity for conservation of fish, and Deputy Keaveney said that while the conservation of fish was necessary, so too was the conservation of fishermen. If one has not got the fish, one will not have the fishermen in future. I know the situation is very difficult and is likely to be a little more so in the years ahead.

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