Results 2,101-2,120 of 23,948 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Yes, this 4,300 tonnes will be fished this year because of the deal I secured at the December Council. That involves a 40% allocation of the TAC from last year, as well as a 30% allocation this year, both of those being fished this year. Going forward, in the long term, there will be a 25% allocation which we secured. This is now permanently additional to the Irish quota.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: It will depend on what the quota is in any one year. It was 2,495 tonnes last year and it will be 1,769 tonnes in 2024. This represents a 30% amount, so we are talking in the region of 1,500 tonnes.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No, it shows that the Deputy does not get this issue and is badly briefed on it.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I think I have made the position very clear.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Had Deputy Collins been listening to what I said at the outset, he would have heard how I laid out the negotiations in relation to an engagement with the Commission on Iceland. I, as the Minister representing Ireland, has been the one who has been taking a very hard line and refusing to agree to any mandate for negotiations or for conducting an agreement with Iceland. As a result of that...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank Deputy Boyd Barrett for that contribution. It is an important issue, and it is important that everybody is part of that process because there is so much to do in this space, and so much potential. However, we have to respect those who have been on this largely on their own for many generations, and who depend on it for their livelihoods as well. Captain Robert McCabe is leading the...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: There is about an eight-week period for the consultation. We will have to gather that and assess it and then step it out with regard to getting to a decision. Over the next number of months, we should get to that point. The Deputy made the point that it is five years. This came in, and the former Minister, Deputy Michael Creed, did really good work on this. He introduced the 6 mile...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: This is an important issue. There obviously is massive potential and it is really important to the future of our country that we develop sustainably the potential of offshore renewable energy to meet our own national need but the capacity is there to produce enough electricity for five times what we need to become a net exporter. Obviously there is great potential there which we will step...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Deputy. I recognise her support for the producer organisations, particularly that of the inshore sector, which was not as strongly represented in the past because it did not have that platform. I take her point on the inshore fishing. This is something that has a very sustainable approach and it is important as well for our inshore sector. Obviously, we only have a certain...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Regarding the foreshore licensing, we have worked hard to try to make sure the timelines involved for allocating a foreshore licence are reduced, certainly within my own Department. If it is a fishing-related licence, my Department issues the foreshore licence. If it is more maritime and leisure, it is issued by the Department of housing. The challenge is where to draw the line. In some...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I have not come to that conclusion; that has been the state of play for a number of years. A review was done a few years ago which adjusted it and gave more to the inshore sector. It is still small and it was divided up between the pelagic sector and the polyvalent sector. Every time there is a change made to this it can be quite contested because the other sectors - polyvalent and pelagic...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: The reason there has been no mandate is because of the position I have taken as the Irish Minister. I consulted with those in our sector, and they are fully up to speed on everything that has happened here. I have kept them up to speed at all times. I read out what I have done regarding the line I have taken with the Commission. I have set a very high threshold, which is absolutely...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No, that is not what I said. The Deputy will find that if he talks to people in the industry, there are very different views among them. In fact, he will also find that their views have changed over the last number of weeks and months. What I clearly said is that I consulted with them all at the start and right along the way. I have laid down very hard lines. Obviously, when we are the...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Okay, I will keep it to 30 seconds. With regard to the producer organisations report, I have advocated and for the first time, we have seen two inshore producer organisations established. The have the same funding available to them that other producer organisations in the same structure would have. That is really important. There has been significant investment in piers and harbours...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: That is not somewhere I have gone. I did an extra tie-up scheme last year instead of doing a fuel subsidy. Prices have come down again, but there is still a cost. Obviously, the challenge with fuel subsidies is that once we go there, there is no revenue. For example, marine fuel does not have any tax on it unlike other taxes. It is tax free apart from VAT, which is reclaimable.

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: Towards the end of last year - I do not recall the exact date - there was engagement by the European Commission with us, consulting in discussions as regards Iceland. I have at all times fully briefed and engaged, as I always do, all the fishing sector representatives as to how we would approach those discussions. There has been no deal with Iceland. The reason for that is the stance I...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: No. There is no mandate for discussions and no mandate to proceed to any negotiation here. There have been informal discussions between the European Commission and Iceland, which is often the case, but nothing can proceed unless a mandate is provided by European Union member states to the Commission to proceed with negotiations. As I said, I have been the only Minister who has been...

Sustainable Fisheries Sector and Coastal Communities: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Dáil for scheduling this question-and-answer session. It is really important fisheries gets a strong airing here and in the committee. I always welcome the opportunity to do that and indeed I specifically requested we not have statements but statements, questions and answers because it is important to have the opportunity to discuss any of the key issues raised on the floor...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Data (15 Feb 2024)

Charlie McConalogue: As this matter is currently ongoing, we cannot comment at present.