Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on retaining his portfolio and gaining another. We have worked well together in the past and I wish him the best of luck in the future. Dealing with Brexit will be an arduous task. I also congratulate Deputy Brophy on his appointment as Minister of State and wish him all the best. I have a very large family spread throughout the world and I hope he will not have to engage with any of them.

I appreciate the increase in the Revised Estimates, not least where it pertains to Covid-19. I thank the Minister and his Department for their assistance, especially to constituents of Wexford who needed representation during Covid. I ask him to pass on our thanks to the departmental staff, who were very helpful. All matters were relatively easily sorted out and people got home.

I was glad to hear the Minister say that, for the latter part of 2020, he will deal with Brexit, which will be upon us soon, in five months' time. That brings me to the question of how the Department will deal with probably impartial trade following Brexit in respect of fishermen and the issues that will arise once UK waters are no longer accessible to EU fisherman and, in particular, Irish fishermen, who probably access UK waters more than any of the other EU member states. Currently, 60% of the mackerel we fish, as well as 40% of the prawns caught by Irish trawlers, are fished in UK waters. These goods are the mainstay of the sector but the waters are soon to be outside the EU and off limits to Irish trawlers. Put simply, 30% of what is trawled by Irish fishermen will be wiped out post Brexit. Significant changes to existing arrangements would be devastating from the Irish fishing industry.

Some mixed signals have come from all sides of the Brexit argument about how it will be managed. The EU has a legally binding commitment under Article 148 of the withdrawal agreement to discuss fishing access and trade together. The UK has set out its negotiating position to insist that fisheries will not be part of any trade deal, whereas the EU wants to tie any post-Brexit trade agreement to a deal on fisheries. Under the heading "Marine", the programme for Government states: "We will [e]nsure protection of the interests of the Irish Fishing industry by insisting that a Fisheries Agreement with the UK is concluded as an integral part of an overall EU Free Trade Agreement with the UK." If the Minister can do so, he might clarify which of the two positions reflects the current circumstances.

Another matter that is of major concern for fishermen nationally, and one I have at first hand heard discussed in my constituency when dealing with fishermen in Wexford town, Kilmore, Duncannon and other areas, is the likely increase in activity in the fishing grounds and waters surrounding Ireland post Brexit. Fishermen expect a significant increase in the number of UK vehicles re-registering for EU ownership. I am glad this is recognised in the programme for Government, which states: "We will [r]ecognise that the critical issue in these negotiations for the Irish industry is continued access to UK waters and quota share and the danger of displacement of the EU fleet into Irish territorial waters." While it is important the Government recognises the critical factors, it is also very important to understand and have knowledge of what action it will take. Will the Minister tell us what steps are being prepared to prevent displacement or an increase in the number of vessels that re-register to the EU post Brexit?

The Covid crisis hit the fishing industry very hard. While supports were welcome, they were very poor in comparison with what other EU countries offered to their fishing industries.

With Brexit only months away, the fishing sector will be one of the worst affected. Currently, 14% of Irish fish exports go to the UK. These will be in great jeopardy after Brexit and the cost of doing business in the sector will increase exponentially. It is imperative that supports be granted now as they are needed now. Cash flow, or what might have been very tight cash flow, has been eroded because of Covid. In the programme for Government, on pages 70 and 105, it is stated that the Government will seek EU contingency supports and market disturbance funding for the fisheries sector to mitigate against the impacts of Covid-19 and Brexit. The Minister might be able to enlighten us on what the supports will entail and when they will be made available to the sector. This is a complex issue because it will involve the Departments responsible for agriculture, trade and foreign affairs. Will the Minister do his best to address some of those issues?

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