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Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I did not ask that question. I asked Mr. Hayes if he was aware of a fish processing factory in any other EU member state that has that provision applied to it by the regulator. Is that the case anywhere else in the Europe? If Mr. Hayes does not know then he can just say that he does not know.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will recap. First, I understand that the European Commission stated that Ireland was the most compliant State in all of the EU in terms of regulation. Second, Ireland has a level of oversight that is unprecedented anywhere else in the EU. Mr. Hayes does not know if that is true but I believe it to be the case. I have outlined the level of oversight to which the industry is subjected yet...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Has the SFPA taken control of the system? Has the SFPA done the natural thing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Prior to the judgment did the SFPA convey any concerns in that the problem was that this was not in the control of an independent body? Was that the SFPA's concern prior to the High Court decision?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will ask my question again. Did the SFPA articulate, prior this matter, unfortunately, going to the High Court, that the difficulty was that the matter was in the control of the industry? These were the concerns of the SFPA before the case went to the High Court. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: In the opening statement, the witnesses refer to their frustrations about the length of time this took to address. Would they agree it is peculiar the European Commission had not articulated any issue with an industry-owned system, but suddenly it had an issue? Is it peculiar to it the witnesses that the Commission had an issue after the High Court decision? The correspondence from the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I will summarise it. My understanding is the witnesses' objection is that this weighing system is owned by the industry. It went to court and the judge made a clear decision that the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, is acting ultra viresin how it is dealing with this. Suddenly, the European Commission started to share the authority's concerns. It has been said publicly in many...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I have here a copy of correspondence sent to Mr. Hayes on 5 May from the SFPA consultative committee, which exists under the same legislation as the SFPA. It has grave concerns about how this has been handled and the lack of consultation with it. It asks, if the ownership of the flow scales on the pier in Killybegs is transferred to systems not operated or owned by the industry, whether the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Fair enough. I am happy to give way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I request that we suspend for 15 minutes for a vote in the Dáil. There will be another vote shortly thereafter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Deputy Pearse Doherty asked about the approach taken to landings in the North. There is no control plan with the North of Ireland or Great Britain but very substantial numbers of landings have come through the North over the years. My understanding is that since 1983, there have been around 5,000 per annum. The SFPA has been in existence since 2006. How many licences for permits for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is not the question I asked. I asked how many times the SFPA has withdrawn the permit from an operator for landings that came through the North. The SFPA has been in existence since 2006.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Does Mr. Hayes not understand why it is difficult for this committee to comprehend why after all those years when landings through the North were taking place - thousands every year since 1983 while the SFPA has been existence as a regulator since 2006 - it is only now in this high-profile scenario where processors have challenged the SFPA that the SFPA is ruling on permits. Perhaps it has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is very peculiar. I am sure Mr. Hayes will accept that this committee finds it peculiar that it is only now that a weighing permit is being removed. Thousands of landings are happening every year, and as Deputy Doherty confirmed, the Department in the North is responsible for doing that anyway. I will leave it at that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Go ahead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Okay. I understand the authority uses terminology in correspondence with companies including "outside Ireland". Does Mr. O'Mahony find it regrettable that the authority describes Derry as "outside Ireland"?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: In general is it regrettable to say Derry is "outside Ireland"?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am sticking to it. It is the weighing issue and it is connected to it. Is it regrettable that an agency-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion (18 May 2022)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: How is it? It is connected to the topic completely. It is directly connected to the weighing controversy in Killybegs.