Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

At this stage, it is not compensation we want; we want fish. The Minister of State will have to get the European Council to assist him. This is the first time this has happened. I go back to the days of Commissioner Damanaki, who was more in favour of Iceland than the European maritime states. The Minister of State's problem is that he will go into a Council of Ministers meeting and there will be ministers there from non-coastal countries. They will accept the advice of the Commission. He will have to work on them as well. He has to highlight to them the serious implications of this drastic cut. We think of fisherman and factory workers, but there are ancillary industries upstream and downstream that will lose out as a result. It is not compensation; it is fish we want. I wish the Minister of State well. He has the support of the sector and of a very active fisheries committee in his endeavours.

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