Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to take the Minister of State's assurances on a personal basis, but I cannot in view of what has happened since 2018 and 2019. It has gone through the courts. The people who took the case lost the case. The Minister of State admitted that the judgment was substantially in favour of the Government. We have to have some outline of what is going to happen when the Government gets the final judgment. We must have some explanation for how there was no stay on the order for the period of time given the importance of this to the environment and sustainability and to local fishermen. What happened that there was a stay for a little and then the stay was lifted? It was open season for the big ships to go in and take the sprat in an unsustainable manner.

This has been set out by experts, not by me; I am only quoting what I have read. I am extremely worried at the constant delays. As I said, that judgment was given on 19 July in favour of the Government except in relation to a specific issue about Northern Ireland. I do not know how that could influence the Government's policy. Surely, the Government now has something ready to run again if the full and approved judgment were to be given tomorrow.

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