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

I will address Deputy Ó Cuív's questions first. I will then respond on fishing, although I imagine Deputy Ó Cuív is interested in fishing too in the context of Ros an Mhíl and other ports.

First, we want a deal. That is absolutely the case. We have been working towards that end for four and a half years now. Since the UK made the decision to leave the European Union, we have been working with all sides to try to find a fair and acceptable deal that protects Irish interests, Ireland's place in the EU Single Market and our relationship with the UK, especially in the context of relationships on the island, North and South. It has been an incredibly complex process. So far, Irish interests have been factored in to the solutions that have been agreed. We must try to ensure that the final agreement on a future relationship and a trade agreement can be reached in a way that does the same. However, that is not easy and the outstanding issues around fair competition, fisheries and governance in respect of the level playing field are proving difficult to make progress on, if the truth be told. I hope the negotiators will be able to do that.

I was asked about the timelines. I have said this more than once that we are running out of time. There is a ratification process that will take several weeks. The commitment from both sides is to get a deal done and ratified before the end of the year. Legalities and the obligations on trade change from 1 January when the UK will be outside the customs union and the Single Market. This has consequences and could be singularly disruptive, in particular for Ireland and Britain but also for some other EU member states. The incentive to get a deal is strong given the cost of failure.

As a former Minister with responsibility for fisheries, this issue is one in which I am especially interested. I have spent many hours discussing how to find a way forward on fishing that is fair to the Irish fishing fleet and that protects their interests. We are trying to find a way in these negotiations to ensure fishing is part of a broader agreement. This broader agreement should recognise that the UK is being accommodated in terms of accessing EU Single Market areas, whether on energy, aviation, road haulage, data, data security or financial services. The EU has a legitimate request in accessing UK waters in the context of its legitimate fishing interests that go back many decades. We are looking for a fair outcome. We are also want to ensure that, whatever the outcome, there is fair burden-sharing across the European Union and that any support packages are available.

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