Seanad debates

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Address to Seanad Éireann by Mr. Pat The Cope Gallagher, MEP

 

12:45 pm

Photo of Colm BurkeColm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Gallagher to the House and pay tribute to the work he has done in the fisheries area. As one who served as a substitute member on the fisheries committee, I know full well the amount of work involved. I owe him an apology as it was agreed that the fisheries committee would visit Ireland in 2008 or early 2009. His colleague, Mr. Seán Ó Neachtáin, was also a member of the fisheries committee which was to visit Galway. Seán wanted the committee to visit Donegal and I wanted it to visit Cork. There was a stand-off for a week or two before a final compromise was reached and, unfortunately, Donegal lost out in the final argument.

The fisheries industry is making a huge contribution to the Irish economy. When the negotiations took place, it was unfortunate that its importance had not been identified and, therefore, we have been the net losers. Given the way in which the issue had been dealt with since the formation of the State up to the time we became a member of the European Union, we were a member for a few years before we realised its importance. Much progress has been made by people such as Mr. Gallagher and the Department to try protect and further develop the whole area. He raised one or two issues in which I was interested and which were on the agenda in 2008 and 2009. One of them was discards, and Mr. Gallagher has dealt with that adequately. The other issue he dealt with was the criminal offence, and that is an issue over which we have control.

Former Deputy Jim O'Keeffe tabled the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction (Fixed Penalty Notice) (Amendment) Bill 2009 and perhaps it is a matter at which we should look again as regards decriminalising what is an administrative offence. I agree with Mr. Gallagher MEP on that. It is unfortunate that the matter has not been dealt with. In fairness, I do not think anyone is out there deliberately trying to break the law. Some of these offences are very much administrative and they should be recognised as such. It is something that I intend revisiting. The sooner it is done, the better.

I want to raise with Mr. Gallagher MEP one or two issues related to my own experience of working in the European Parliament. I have a concern about briefings by Departments of Members of the European Parliament, particularly given its new role and involvement much more than ever before in the decision-making process, and whether there is a need for Departments to be in greater contact with the Irish MEPs to ensure that we all are singing from the one hymn sheet. I note the permanent representatives in Brussels are extremely good at briefing and they always respond to an MEP within 24 hours of asking them a question, but I wonder whether we are doing enough from the home base on that issue. There was one unfortunate incident where I was abroad on a reasonably risky trip to Chad and the Sudanese border area where the Irish officials were instructed not to meet me. I found the decision surprising. They met me unofficially but were instructed formally by the Department not to meet me while I was there. It is important that we all singing from the one hymn sheet. I wonder what is Mr. Gallagher's view on whether more could be done about Departments briefing MEPs.

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