Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I start by paying tribute to the Minister. His response to the issue of UK registered vessels has been good so far. It is good to see that response. I am not sure that another Minister would have responded in such a way to designate additional ports. However, I am concerned that a minimalist approach was taken in the designation of these additional ports, with the least amount of ports being designated as possible to get over the line. The additional ports will be required and used at all times. This is particularly the case in north Inishowen, in Culdaff and Malin Head, where many fishermen use those ports. As the Minister knows, those waters are dodgy, and having to steam around to Greencastle to get in with a catch in bad weather is dangerous. With the designation of additional ports at Culdaff or Malin Head, they can be used safely, which is important.

On the whole fiasco that has arisen over the issue of the designation of ports, one wonders what the Department was doing over the three years of the Brexit negotiations. What was actually happening? Earlier on in the year, we saw how the Department did not have a complete list of boats that needed to be registered with the UK in order to land in UK waters. Indeed, fishermen were asked to come forward to register their boats with the UK so that they could land and fish in UK waters after Christmas. It beggars belief. Following that, there was a row about the designation of additional ports. If the fishermen had not campaigned, the issue would never have been sorted out. That is the reality. It is really worrying.

On the issue of mackerel quotas, one fisherman from Killybegs told me:

If mackerel had passports, they would be Irish, because that is where they are born and spend most of their lives. They only pass through UK waters to get into ours to spawn.

That is the reality. Through the negotiations, the Minister could have ensured that our mackerel quota continued to be caught in Irish waters rather than in Scottish waters and leaving it open to being part of the deal, which is what happened. I disagree with the Minister. A no-deal Brexit would have been a better outcome for fishermen because they could have held on to their mackerel quota and caught it in Irish waters. That is the reality. The Minister has said that he will go forward and campaign on the Common Fisheries Policy. I hope to God that he does, because the fishing industry has been let down repeatedly since we began negotiations to join the EU when the EU stole our fishing from us.

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