Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)

Ar an chéad dul síos, is mian liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl d’Oifig an Cheann Comhairle as ucht na ceiste seo a ardú mar Shaincheist Thráthúil ag an am seo anocht.

I refer to the question of a reduction in pelagic quotas - there are demersal quotas - in particular mackerel, blue whiting and boarfish. Drastic reductions were recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, for 2026. I repeat my gratitude to the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, Deputy Timmy Dooley, for responding to a request to meet an organisation in Killybegs on a Sunday morning a few weeks ago. Fishermen from Donegal, Galway and the south west were present and the Minister of State listened attentively to all of them. It was not his first visit – I understand it was his sixth visit to Killybegs within a short time.

Producers and processors made very clear to him the detrimental effects of the proposed quotas. Over the past number of years, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and, to an extent since Brexit, the UK, have fished 1 million tonnes of mackerel. In some years, Norway alone overfishes its quota by 55%. This has led directly to a proposal from ICES to reduce the total allowable catch of mackerel by 70%, blue whiting by 41% and boarfish by 22%. This has the potential to cost Ireland over €150 million in lost catches at the first point of sale. Of course, with the added value the figure would be much greater than that.

Our catching sector is facing the biggest cuts in its history in real terms in 2026. It is equivalent to the cumulative impact of four years of Brexit. While Ireland generally was pleased that Brexit got over the line, once more the fishing industry suffered as a result. I met Michel Barnier, who negotiated at the time, and told him in this House, in the dining room, that I was extremely concerned for the future of the fishing industry. He looked me straight in the eye and said I could take it that it would not be affected because fishing and trade would be inextricably linked. I believed the man.

Of course, I advocated at the time that we should have threatened to veto Brexit because of the implications for the fishing industry. That was not a popular thing to do at the time. There was a bigger picture. Had we threatened to do that at the time, I have no doubt that there would not have been such drastic reductions in those quotas as a result of Brexit. It is a very serious situation for the country, in particular the most peripheral parts where there are no alternative sources of employment.

I know the Minister of State will do his utmost and will hold bilateral meetings with many other countries in Europe. We must ensure that we convince Europe to put sanctions in place for the sale of fish from Norway into the European Union. I will deal with that later.

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