Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)

As the Deputy is aware, the competent authority will be my Minister of State. It is more the pity that so few questions were tabled on fishing but perhaps this is a matter for consideration in future. The Deputy is correct that a strategy is being prepared and the Minister of State has been part of that process, having met representatives of other member states on a number of occasions. The issue at stake is equivalence and the rules and regulations imposed on Irish fishermen should be imposed in a similar fashion on fishermen in other member states. It is unfortunate that this has not been the case to date.

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