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

I will come back to the Deputy on the last point. It is clearly a serious issue and we want to, and will, ensure childcare provision is made available for healthcare workers. If we have to intervene, then I am sure it will be looked at as a matter of urgency. This issue has been discussed for long enough now and it needs to be resolved.

On the fishing industry, I was formerly a Minister with responsibility for fisheries and I understand the industry well. It is extremely vulnerable to the wrong outcome from Brexit negotiations. That is why I and others have always insisted that a resolution to the fisheries issues linked to Brexit needs to be done in the context of a trade deal, not siphoned away and dealt with separately but as part of an overall agreement that involves many sectors. That is the way in which we will get the right deal for Irish fishermen. I do not believe the EU will move away from that approach. We spoke directly this morning in a stakeholders group to Sean O'Donoghue, head of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, to which the Deputy referred. I assure the Deputy that we will continue to represent fishing interests as a big priority. I suspect there will be a lot more focus on the fisheries debate in the next couple of weeks. At the moment, the approaches from the two sides to the negotiations on fishing are diametrically opposed. We know the emotion that comes with fishing issues and the sovereignty issues that are linked to the fishing debate. This means that, in many ways, the issue is much more important and difficult to resolve politically than suggested by the industry's overall share of GDP and so on. I know only too well how important it is for places like Donegal, west Cork, Connemara, Wexford and others that we have a vibrant fishing industry into the future.

On the question of the UK seeking an extension to Brexit negotiations, I ask the Acting Chairman to give me a little latitude in responding as I know other Members will ask about it. We need to be clever here. I believe that we need an extension and we need more time, but there are ways and means of achieving this, if it is possible to do it. It may not be possible. We know that the British position is very clear and adamant right now. David Frost has outlined, as has Michael Gove, that the UK will not be seeking an extension. The idea that the ask should come from Ireland or the EU, where it would be seen by the UK as a concession to the EU to agree to an extension, is not the way to approach this. We need to work to convince the UK that more time is needed to get a good deal for everybody, including the UK.

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