Pat O'Neill (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not asking about those. I am asking the EU to reconsider the matter. There are other options for the fish. This summer's weather was the worst for agriculture and the feedstuff produced is of poor quality. We will need to supplement that feed with more proteins, the cost of which, particularly soya, has doubled in the past three years.

We cannot bring excess fish into the food chain because of quotas and the market would be distorted. What would be wrong with setting up a processing plant either in the EU or here in Ireland to deal with discarded fish by putting it into animal feed? One of the best sources of protein is fishmeal so why should we not look at that as a way of using discards? It is totally immoral for fish to be dumped at sea, where it will only feed seagulls. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to make a statement on the matter.