Brendan Kenneally (Fianna Fail)

It would be appropriate for this House to pass a vote of congratulations to the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Dermot Ahern, on his tremendous success at the European fisheries meeting on Monday. We have had discussions on this matter before and we all realise the devastation it would have caused if the concept of the Irish Box had been removed completely, which was suggested. The Minister played a good tactical game, however. When one hears the fisheries organisations saying he has done a reasonably good job, one knows he must have done a hell of a good job.