Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy can say it absolutely. Countries that have no sea resources and a disproportionate amount of our resources will out-vote and out-muscle our very good MEPs, who are in a tiny minority in that situation. The only way this can be tackled is at government to government level. We have a unique opportunity now with the talks going on in Europe to put this back on the table and make it clear that we no longer accept it. If others wish to re-open things, we wish to re-open things and this is a fundamental thing we wish to re-open. We sold the fisheries for the farming.

Where I live now, Europe, through its designations, is virtually strangling the life of ordinary people. They cannot do on their own land what they have done traditionally as custodians of that land. We have a major issue with the designations on the land and in the sea. They are stopping our people. The building of small piers becomes very difficult because of the Natura 2000 designation. There is a great deal that we should raise in Europe and there was never a better time to raise these issues in Europe because the Europeans are looking for things from us. For everything they seek, we should seek it back ten times more.

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