Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We certainly had to avoid a no-deal Brexit. I am sure the Deputy will accept that a no-deal Brexit would have been a disaster for fishing. In that context, we fought for as high a share of quota for the Irish fishing industry as we possibly could in order to ensure we can create viability into the future.

It is an extremely difficult deal for fishing. We are not at all happy with Brexit and its implications for fishing but neither would I do as the Deputy has done, which is to try to make this a simplistic issue. He has not really created any alternative ideas other than suggesting that we adopt a much tougher stance, whatever that means in practical terms. I do not think it means a whole lot and is nothing much other than rhetoric. There comes a time in negotiations or planning for any industry where, in trying to ensure and protect livelihoods, we need to go beyond simplistic rhetoric and concentrate on a solutions-based approach. The Minister engaged energetically on this issue, as did his Department, with other EU member states whose fishing industries were likely to be most affected by it. They had a strong alliance on this matter up to the very end. It is regrettable that the UK Government adopted the aggressive position it took in respect of fisheries. That was obviously a factor as well.

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