Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Ferris and his party for raising this issue. Deputy Pringle and others are also interested in the reply as it relates to the Common Fisheries Policy.

Rather than reading out a long answer, I will try to convey to the Deputies the elements of the reply in which they will be interested. A number of key issues arise for Ireland with regard to the Common Fisheries Policy. I propose to single out a few of them, although that may be a slight contradiction in terms. The first key issue is the concept of transferable fishing concessions, which is one of the big ideas in the current proposals on the Common Fisheries Policy. When Commissioner Damanaki visited Ireland, I spent nearly two hours discussing this issue with her to help her understand the reason the current proposal poses such a threat to the future of the Irish fishing industry. The thinking behind this concept, which would essentially privatise quotas by allowing them to be traded, is to reduce the fleet size through consolidation. Those who could afford to buy up quota from others would do so and fishing boats would be removed from the fleet, resulting in consolidation within countries and fleets. Ireland opposes this proposal, having already significantly reduced our fleet size under a recent fleet reduction programme. We do not want a consolidation of the fishing industry into two or three large ports, nor do we want to allow fishing interests from outside the country establishing a presence to buy up quota. The quota purchased would then be used by non-Irish fishing fleets and fish catches would be taken to non-Irish fishing ports. I have made clear to the Commissioner our concerns about her proposals on the transferability of fishing concessions and quotas. Ireland has taken a consistent position on this issue and has allies around Europe who share our concerns. We must keep quota in the control and management of the State to ensure it is allocated, rather than sold to the fleet, in a manner that is responsible and keeps coastal communities intact.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is scheduled for adoption in the latter half of 2012. This is an ambitious target and there is a strong possibility that the adoption of the new policy will be delayed and fall into 2013 during the Irish Presidency of the EU.

A reformed CFP is a critical policy issue for Ireland as it will shape the strategic blueprint for the European fishing industry for the next decade. The CFP impacts on the social, economic and environmental pillars of the wider seafood industry and the proposals will hold both opportunities and risks for Ireland.

My overarching goal for the new CFP is for a sustainable, profitable and self reliant industry that protects and enhances the social and economic fabric of rural coastal communities dependent on the seafood sector, while balancing these objectives with the need to deliver a sustainable and eco centred fisheries landscape for future generations. I am pursuing initiatives that will deliver and sustain jobs in coastal communities rather than those that promote the concentration of wealth and delivery of excessive profits for a few big international businesses.

I can broadly support the general thrust of the proposals put forward by the Commission in their proposal of 13 July on such key issues as enhanced conservation, rebuilding fish stocks, reducing discarding of fish, introducing more selective fishing gears to allow small fish and unwanted by-catches to escape and the use of multi-annual plans as a primary tool to rebuild and manage fish stocks. However, I have differing views on some key points from an Irish perspective. Subject to further negotiation on important details in respect of those issues I would expect that by the conclusion of the negotiations, I would hope to be in a position to support these important elements of the Reform proposals. Within the package there are specific issues that are of critical importance to Ireland which I will address in more detail.

I have serious concerns about the implications of the Commission's intention to impose the mandatory introduction of individually transferable concessions (quotas). Under this system, fish quotas would be allocated as tradeable commodities to private individuals and companies for at least 15 years and those individuals would be permitted to sell on the quotas.

There is serious concern in Ireland that under the current set of proposals, which the Commission has published, there is a real risk that the economic benefit from our quotas will be increasingly lost to Ireland. We fear that large European conglomerates, registering in Ireland, would buy up our quotas and increasingly land them abroad. This would cost us thousands of jobs around the coast and would starve our growing seafood processing industry of raw material. At this point, we can see no safeguards that could be built into the proposals which would prevent this happening.

In relation to discards, I fully support the objectives on addressing the unacceptable and wasteful practice of discarding as set in this proposal. The Commission proposal involves the introduction of a ban on discarding of fish which would be applied incrementally over the period 2014-16. The discarding of fish makes no sense at any level and must be ended. I believe that we need radical action to bring an end to this wasteful practice which is as abhorrent to fishermen as it is to the general public. The Commission proposal for a ban is too simplistic and is more likely to result in the concealment of the practice than a change in the behaviour. I am absolutely committed to addressing the problem in a practical and progressive manner working directly with fishermen and scientists.

The retention of the Hague Preferences is a key issue for Ireland as it gives Irish Fishermen a safety net of additional quotas when stock levels go below a certain point. In the Commission proposal, the Hague Preferences are recognised in the same manner as here to fore. Ireland sought their full integration into the CFP to avoid the current situation where there application each year is a matter for decision by the EU Fisheries Council. I will continue to pursue this approach but I am fully aware that we may face opposition for their inclusion, in any form, from those member states which lose quota when they are invoked.

In terms of the process, there is a long road to take before the reform of the CFP is finalised, many Member States will have conflicting agendas on certain issues. Commissioner Damanaki has visited Ireland and I had a good opportunity to set out Ireland's priorities and to give her a full understanding of the situation of the sector in Ireland and the likely impacts of her proposals, both positive and negative.

I have been actively building alliances with like minded colleagues in Europe. I met with my French Counterpart Minister Le Maire on 30 September and issued a joint communiqué which included a commitment to work closely on sustainability measures including discards, regionalisation and importantly on our opposition to the proposals on ITQs as they currently stand. I intend to build further alliances where possible and continue to liaise with our industry and other stakeholders to pursue and secure Ireland's priorities in a reformed CFP.

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