Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am acutely aware of the latter point and appreciate the difficulties to which that has given rise. The Deputy and I have engaged on that issue. Those difficulties were hard to avoid because, as the Deputy alluded to, more than 60% of mackerel, the most valuable stock in our pelagic sector, is landed from UK waters. The fear of a crash-out by the end of March drove the industry, understandably, to catch that stock in the first quarter of the year. That is regrettable but understandable because the industry feared being locked out of UK waters.

Our response on the broader issue is, in the context of the future trading relationship, to ensure that the fishery sector does not get isolated, because the scale of the challenge for the fishing industry is almost existential, given the amount of pelagic, prawns and others that are caught in UK waters and the consequences if boats are displaced into the Irish exclusive economic zone, EEZ. There are implications and consequences that would arise from that for the sustainability of those stocks in our waters. That is critically important.

We are still engaged with the Commission about the funding that is necessary, and I share the Deputy's view that redirecting funding from the EMFF is not the appropriate response. The Commission has a co-ordination role and must ensure there is equity to the consequences for all member states. It also requires funding because we could not countenance a situation where we were ceasing fishing activity temporarily while others were fishing in our waters, visible from shore. The equity that would be required would require EU funding.

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