Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is fine. Obviously, Brexit is bad news for the island of Ireland. We will all have to protect strongly the sectors of our society most at risk. Agriculture is one sector that faces major challenges with markets in the UK in jeopardy with Brexit. If the survival of Irish farmers is to continue, we need the South American Mercosur trade deal completely off the table for legitimate reasons, for traceability reasons, for environmental reasons and for so many other reasons. Is this trade deal going to be opposed by the Government?

The British made it clear from the first mention of Brexit that they want Irish trawlers out of British waters. This will have nightmare consequences for Irish fishermen. We are also facing a further nightmare situation. When other European trawlers are removed from UK waters, they will turn into what are already over-fished Irish waters. The media have been constantly saying in recent times that Irish waters are over-fished. What they have always failed to realise is that Irish trawlers are not over-fishing Irish waters. It is the foreign trawlers that are over-fishing Irish waters. The question I want to raise with the Tánaiste is the fact that Irish fishing vessels will now be asked to move out of English waters. What protections are in place for those Irish trawlers? What protections are in place for the Irish Sea? Will foreign vessels turn into Irish waters? If they do, we are facing a shocking and difficult situation. What securities are in place to ensure that does not happen? These are questions I would like answered.

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