Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If the Deputy and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will allow me, I would like to use the opportunity to correct the record on something I said a number of weeks ago in the House to Deputy Martin Ferris's colleague, Deputy Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin, where, unintentionally, I misled the House when I suggested in reply to a private notice question that Deputy Ó Caoláin had not contacted me in relation to a specific case involving the special investigations unit. I was wrong in that. I have written to Deputy Ó Caoláin to clarify the issue but I also said that I would use the opportunity the next time I was on my feet in the House to clarify the issue.

In terms of the response to the question, our approach will be as predicted and as we did last year and the year before. I will try to derive the highest commercial return possible from fishing stocks in as sustainable a way as I can. There are some real challenges going into next week's negotiations, particularly in regard to whitefish, off the south coast of Ireland, and on stocks such as whiting and haddock. We also have some challenges in terms of prawns, which is Ireland's most important fishery in value terms, after mackerel but, in social terms, probably Ireland's most important fishery, where there are recommendations for quite dramatic cuts.

We are taking a team of people, including marine scientists from the Marine Institute, to the negotiations. I will attempt to construct arguments for minimising the effect of quota reductions, in other words, minimising those reductions if they have to take place. We have to take account of the state of fish stocks. There is no point in having a short-term popular decision that will significantly damage the health of fish stocks. Having said that, we also need to take account of the fact that we are moving into an entirely new phase when it comes to fishing in Ireland-----

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