Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I made clear in my contributions so far my absolute determination following on from the trade and co-operation agreement and the resulting unfair burden on our fishing quotas, which is more significant proportionately than that which other member states have to carry. We knew from the outset the grave danger our fishing sector was in and the grave danger a no-deal outcome presented to us given that one third of all our fish is caught in UK waters. If we had been blocked from those waters, the EU fleet, including our own, that fishes in British waters would have been displaced into our waters, so we knew the grave and drastic implications a no-deal outcome would have had from a fisheries point of view. We fought tooth and nail, working alongside the fishing sector domestically right through the negotiation process, to ensure that fisheries was prioritised at all time and that we held the strongest line possible. That resulted in fisheries being the very last issue dealt with. That was because we were fighting so hard on it and doing everything we could to put forward the strongest possible argument.

The British Government, as the Deputy will be aware, was looking to take back all the fish the EU fleet, including our own, catches in its waters under the zonal attachment principle. They were looking to take back 100% of that. We did not want to give any of it. The ultimate deal resulted in 25% of what the EU fleet, including our own, catches in UK waters being reallocated between now and 2026. That is not an outcome any of us wanted but it was a result. It was the best case scenario or best possible result we were able to get given the challenge of those negotiations. While they wanted 100%, they ended up getting 25%. It was 25% too much from our point of view but, as I say, it avoided a no-deal scenario which would have been drastic and catastrophic for our fisheries sector. As Minister with responsibility for the marine and working with all my Government colleagues, I will continue at European level to try to address the unfair burden in that and, in terms of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy, to put forward Ireland's case and what we bring to the Common Fisheries Policy, and to do everything I and the Government can to have that reflected in the policy as well.

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