Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

When the Minister says his team now has to assess the situation, I am not really sure what needs to be assessed at this point. He says he is committed to banning this, but the issue remains that inshore trawling is currently permitted and will be for some time until the Minister resolves the matter. The Government says constantly that it is committed to banning this activity. Inshore fishers support such a ban, as do marine and tourism businesses, coastal communities and environmentalists. Why is the Minister not acting more quickly? I appreciate that the legal proceedings took time, but he has been seemingly making no provisions in the meantime. Now he is only assessing the matter. Where is the urgency? At each stage we get the same standard response that the Department is considering the rulings. Two and a half years later, what is the plan? The Minister's team is assessing the matter. He knew that the final ruling was coming. The court identified the Department's failure to properly inform the UK and the EU about the directive, which is a separate matter in itself, but, importantly, the court has found that the policy is legally sound. There is no issue with the policy. It was on a technicality that it was overruled. What, then, is the Minister assessing? What is the delay? When will he proceed?

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