Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

The clear conclusion of the report by the World Wildlife Fund and the Traffic organisation, Follow the Leader, is that regional approaches such as the European Common Fisheries Policy have failed dismally to protect worldwide fishing stocks. What is the Minister of State's response to this conclusion? Since the enactment of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, has anything changed in terms of the information we receive from the Commodore of the Naval Service on the monitoring of non-Irish vessels fishing in our waters?

Will the Minister of State indicate what is happening in regard to the EU fisheries control agency? Is it now up and running in Vigo where it was supposed to be established and is it in contact on a real time basis with Haulbowline? Is any new system in place and has anything changed? The Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, played a dramatic role in the passing of that legislation. What has changed in recent months since the debate on fisheries control?

Where is it intended to site the new Irish fisheries protection agency? Will it be in one of the five fishery ports of Howth, Killybegs, Castletownbere, Dunmore East or Rossaveal? Is it intended to locate it within a fishery harbour? When will it be established and what resources will be made available to it?

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