Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

The Irish fishing and seafood industry received terrible news in the past week that there will be further devastating cuts to the mackerel quota as well as cuts to blue whiting and boarfish. This has been referred to as economic Armageddon by the industry. My constituency of Donegal will be hit really hard by this. The European Commission has known for many years about the reckless overfishing of mackerel by fishing fleets from Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Russia and Britain but it has taken no meaningful action and there have been no repercussions. What is the Tánaiste's plan to secure our fair share of fish in our own waters? Is it acceptable in his view and in the Government's view that the fishing fleets from the countries that have recklessly overfished mackerel continue to fish in our waters?

Is the Government finally going to stand up for Ireland and our fishing communities in the face of this economic Armageddon, as they call it?

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