Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As I understand it, the Common Fisheries Policy allows member states, in developing policy in this area, to give preference to coastal and rural communities and small fisheries communities. It is up to each member state to develop that policy under the Common Fisheries Policy. As inshore fisheries is not covered by the Common Fisheries Policy, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has the discretion to examine this and to devise a policy in that regard.

The Minister stated that what I am looking for is the creation of a new licensing regime. Surely the remit of the Department includes the development and protection of fishermen and rural communities. The committee's recommendation that the Department examine this issue is mild, but two years down the road it is not being actively examined.

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