Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

I am sure he would suggest that we could have a rational and reasonable discussion about it and further that he would agree fully that we could solve the Irish financial problems by giving back to the Irish Government its entitlements. I have no doubt that since I have suggested this here tonight, the Minister will in turn suggest it to the Taoiseach who will see it as being a rational. I do not say this jocosely; I mean it seriously and it would put right something which I made clear was wrong back in 1973. I have never changed my mind on that issue because it is a natural resource.

One of the great questions raised all the time about the attitude towards fisheries in Europe is whether Europe is all about money and big companies or the people. I represent a coastal constituency and I see the decimation that has taken place in coastal communities because they do not have access to their own resources which are out in the bay beyond them.

The only argument I was ever given on this matter was that we had not developed our fishing industry enough in 1973 and that was why we were willing to give it away. It is like suggesting that one has a farm but because one has not been using it for one reason or another one may as well give the farm away because one has not stocked it. Any farmer in the country would make it clear he would never do that and that he would never give away the land because he could always restock the land if he owned the farm but if he gave away the land he would not be able to restock it because he would not have it.

It is time this country started talking tough. I do not share the view with my colleague that bringing the European Parliament into this would be of great benefit. We have only a small number of MEPs out of 800.

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