Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As per what Deputy Mac Lochlainn read out, I have always been measured and anchored in logic in any arguments I have made. The Deputy tried earlier, in his first contribution, to equate what he was saying with what I had said previously. As is clear from what he read out from my contribution that night, I said that the Department's track record in bringing forward a statutory instrument was not a good one, given that it had already been knocked down in the Supreme Court twice. I think that was fair comment. It had been knocked down in the Supreme Court twice. I also said that there should not be such an adversarial approach and since becoming Minister, that is something I have worked very hard to try to change. I have visited every pier and every harbour in the country. I have worked with and met fishermen at every opportunity. I have worked very closely to support them in every way I possibly can. I fought hard on their behalf on Brexit, which we all know was a very challenging situation. After that, I brought the fishermen and fisherwomen together in a task force and tasked them with setting out a pathway to maximise our natural resource and to make their livelihoods as strong, viable and sustainable as possible into the future. Now I am stepping forward to implement the plan they put forward. That is my track record since I became Minister.

Regarding the statutory instrument, it was knocked down twice by the Supreme Court, which is not a good track record, as I have said. I have worked very closely with the Department in terms of stepping that out, having the amendments proposed at the time assessed, accommodating those that could be included but moving forward and not including those that could not be included. Now I am successfully bringing forward legislation to put in masters legislation but doing it in a way that makes us compliant, as is our obligation, while taking on board all of the views expressed. Not all views can be accommodated because ultimately, if some of the suggestions the Deputies are putting forward were accommodated, we still would not be compliant because we would not meet our obligations.

That is the approach that I have taken. I have been measured and have worked to support fishers in what has been a very challenging time.

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