Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

One of the reasons fishing is such a difficult issue to resolve is because the British place a higher priority on it. They see these as their seas and when they leave the European Union as they see it, they will keep all their seas. That is what some of the hard Brexiteers see. They may not understand the other side - that they need to export their fish.

It is taking so long because the Irish and French positions on the issue of fish have been unified. The Minister, Deputy McConalogue and the rest of the Government, including the Taoiseach, have taken a very strong line with Michel Barnier to ensure that our fishers, small and large but particularly small fishers, and those fishing communities are protected from the impact of Brexit. We have been at one with, not just our colleagues in France, but also with our colleagues from Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Germany is also in that mix on the North Sea. We stand together and work together. There is an informal group for which fishing is a big issue.

Clearly it is an enormous issue for us, which is why it is at the top of the agenda here. Negotiations are taking place to ensure our fishers and our fishing industry do not suffer unfairly because of Brexit. That was a big risk at the outset when Britain decided to leave. Simply because we fish in much of its waters, we want to be as fair as possible. This is so difficult precisely because those communities and people who depend on fishing for their livelihoods deserve and need protection.

British fishers and British fishing communities do not just need access to the seas, specifically the North Sea; they need markets in which to export their fish. The British do not eat most of the shellfish, in particular, that they catch; it is sold into European markets. I hope that is in their minds. That European market is just as important for fish as the British market is for cars.

I wish the negotiators well. In know that Michel Barnier is fully apprised of the situation with Irish fishing communities as he is of French fishing communities. I discuss these issues with my French colleagues regularly and we have full solidarity with fishing communities. I look forward to a positive resolution to this, but it is a difficult issue. Deputy Howlin expressed the situation with fish very bluntly a few weeks ago. Let us see what the negotiations come back with.

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