Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

Irish fishermen have seen their sector gutted in recent years. Irish fishing rights have been handed, lock, stock and barrel, to other countries. Many countries are doing far better out of Irish waters than Irish fishermen. According to departmental projections, the Irish coastal share of fish will shrink by approximately 15% in the coming six years. The average reduction throughout the rest of Europe is 9.83%. Ireland's reduction significantly surpasses the loss of other countries. Indeed, Ireland has the highest loss along with Germany. What does that say about the ability of Irish Ministers to work on behalf of Irish fishermen in Europe? It is an incredible situation at the moment.

Earlier this year, a trawler came into Killybegs with 750 tonnes of blue whiting that had been caught. The trawler was subject to a controlled weighing on the pier as part of that process. The monitoring process made the fish unfit for human consumption and the fish had to be sold for animal meal. That fish are being weighed at piers is nonsense and is damaging the sector. The crisis is so profound that Irish fishers are now changing their boats' Irish flags for Spanish flags in order that they can increase their quota in their own country. Meanwhile, we see 20 to 50 trucks of Irish fish leave the country per week, and many of them are unchecked.

I will put this in perspective. As regards monkfish, France has 59% of the quota in Irish waters; Ireland has 7% of the quota. In haddock, Ireland has only 22% of the quota; France has 67% of the quota. In hake, Ireland has 6% of the quota; France has 45% of the quota. What is happening would be completely laughable if it were not so costly. Looking at sole, some fishing boats can catch only maybe a box a month while Belgium has the vast majority of the quota here in Ireland. It is beyond belief. It is farcical that fishermen and fisherwomen are thrown about their boats in the heaviest of weather and made do all this work but are treated differently from other fleets fishing in Irish waters. They are made to weigh on the pier and then weigh in the factory 200 yd up the road as well.

I wish the Minister of State luck in his role, but Ireland has been cursed with absolutely pathetic representation in the European Union. We have not been fighting our corner. The other countries are making fun of us for the lack of quota we have in our own waters. There has to be a change if rural and coastal communities are to survive.

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