Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank all the Deputies who contributed for their insights and helpful suggestions. I want to correct one matter. I indicated, I think, that I am to meet my UK counterpart on 5 July. I am reliably informed it is 9 July. I do not want anything to be missed on the record on that.

To the Sinn Féin Members who talked about their survey, that is a useful piece of work, and I can understand the sentiment many of the people express. I might not agree with some of the suggestions but I have indicated to the Deputies who prepared the survey that I will go through it in more detail. I am happy to have a dialogue with them on that.

The reality is that all the information or ideas do not reside on any one side of the House. I certainly do not suggest that I possess the divine right to develop policy alone. I will always take helpful views, from whatever quarter, that are to the benefit of the people we seek to represent. I assure the House of that. I have engaged with people, and people are engaging with me and setting out their stall. There is little doubt that the sector has been under pressure for quite some time because of global changes and impacts of overfishing through the years. The stocks are declining and climate change is having an impact, but there is no doubt that Brexit delivered a devastating blow to the sector more generally and has left the sector reeling. However, from my engagement not exclusively but generally, there is an obvious resilience there on the part of so many people who want to try to continue this industry notwithstanding the complications and the difficulties that are there. I want, insofar as I can, to support them in that. I set out earlier some of my ideas about trying to do a piece of facilitation work in the first instance to develop that strategy into the future and develop a roadmap to try to deliver insofar as we can to meet people's needs and expectations.

There was quite a bit of talk about bluefin tuna and the lack of quota we have. Some of that is historic, but there is a recognition that because of the changes in water conditions, more of that stock is moving into Irish waters. Of course, I will fight tooth and nail at every possible opportunity, with both the Commission and member states that have an interest in this, to try to get stock. I am conscious, however, that in order for us to get quota, somebody has to give it up. Whatever the historical conditions that existed when quotas were first apportioned, trying to win quota back is a difficulty. Deputy Tóibín in making his case referred to Irish waters, but the reality is that, outside the 12 nautical miles, that is considered European waters, so we do not have exclusivity there. That is part of an agreement that goes back to the 1970s. With the best will in the world, I do not want to indicate to anybody that I can necessarily change that context overnight, but whatever opportunity comes through the ether, I will be happy to engage.

Deputy Barry Ward and others talked about the CFP and the review or the reform. There is an evaluation under way by the Commission at the moment. The European Ocean Pact was launched on Monday of this week at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. It sets out the potential for a possible reform. I assure the House that if that eventuality comes into play, together with the Department officials, I and other Ministers involved in various Departments will fight our damnedest to get whatever additional quota we can in those contexts. However, I do not want to lead people to believe that just because there is going to be a reform there is somebody out there waiting to hand over a portion of quota. I assure the House from my perspective, however, that it will not be for the want of engagement and networking. Others asked what our approach might be. It will be to consult as widely as possible, to engage with other member states, to lobby, to network and to make the case, as the industry did really well in Castletownbere when the Commissioner was invited there and we had that opportunity. It is that kind of work that plays out in the long term.

The question then is what might be done on a broader level to protect biodiversity. Ireland is a signatory to the UN Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. We are going to bring this through domestic legislation as it has to be transposed. We want to move on this because we have a shared responsibility to manage the seas that fall outside the national jurisdiction. I think it was Deputy Barry Ward who talked about the massive overfishing by fleets outside of European control that have access and have a destructive effect. As part of this, we are putting in place a governance programme to try to ensure that we maintain biodiversity, for the greater good of all.

Deputy Mythen talked about going to Kilmore Quay. I am happy to do that and I am happy to meet groups under the political representation. The Ceann Comhairle has been in touch with me on this issue, as has the Minister, Deputy James Browne. I will work with everyone on this issue. However, I make the point to Deputy Collins that I am not in a position to promise anything regarding giving quota for black sole to anyone or any entity. I can only engage with the sector and be as honest and upfront as I always am on these issues and what procedures and process can be undertaken to try to address an issue or how we deal with it. We are happy to do that.

Deputy Tóibín talked about the issue in Killybegs with the blue whiting that was processed for fishmeal. This issue has been raised with me on a number of occasions. I have met the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, and the fishing industry there. We have to have regulatory controls in place and these are done on a proportionate basis. There has to be a level of oversight because we have to convince the European Commission, in particular, that we have a regulatory regime in place that is fit for purpose. I am also conscious that technology is advancing. There is now a very significant number of cameras in place in the processing facilities in Killybegs. I understand that additional cameras would have to be put in place and we would have to get a designation of the entirety of the pier to be able to manage the process without certain checks at the shoreside on an ongoing basis. I am prepared to work with those in Killybegs to try to reduce the necessity for those checks, which do impact on the quality of the blue whiting. It is a very tender fish that can be easily damaged in the counting process in that equipment. When I visited, I saw at first hand the impact that is having. There is a medium- to long-term plan to address this and I hope we can do so.

I outlined where we are at on the issue of Rockall. We do not accept the British claim on Rockall. As it is not a habitable place, we do not believe there should be any economic zone around it. We believe that we have the backing of international legislation to justify that. There is ongoing diplomatic dialogue on this by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have raised the matter with the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. When I am in London on 9 July I will raise the matter. It is my intention to also visit Scotland and other jurisdictions around Europe. This will have to be advanced on a bilateral basis. It would be very helpful to those who fish for squid in the seas around Rockall.

Deputy Connolly set out a very clear and impassioned plea regarding sprat fishing. An new process was undertaken. When a policy paper is being brought forward, a very clear process must be followed. Much of the process was undertaken before, and through to conclusion, and it was only lost on a very minor technicality in the courts. To go back again and create a policy paper, one must go through the process. That is why the consultation, to which some 5,500 people responded, had to take place. I do not want to say or do anything that might undermine the ultimate decision that will be taken. This may or may not require a memorandum to Government. The Department will be setting out a position on this very soon. I am hopeful that it will be in place before the summer. The passage of time from the original information that was gleaned from BIM and the Marine Institute required me to seek the most up-to-date legal, scientific and economic advice. I now have most of that information, which will allow us to make a decision very soon.

There were a lot of representations on the marine protected areas. The section dealing with the marine environment still resides in the Department of housing. I have no oversight or control in relation to it. My expectation is that it will transfer to the Department of climate very shortly and will fall under my remit there. I intend to work with the Department and on the marine planning side to try to advance, as quickly as possible, a regulatory regime on a legislative basis that will allow us to identify marine areas for protection. I have to be clear that the position taken by the previous Minister with responsibility for this will help to inform me, but not exclusively, in the decisions we will have to take. It is important that we begin the process and are in a position to meet our international obligations and commitments to ensure that we have 30% of the seas within our jurisdiction as marine protected areas by 2030. I am happy to come back and discuss that at any stage.

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