Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Cummins for bringing this matter to our attention. It is an important issue. I appreciate the Senator's recognition of the €3.1 million investment in marine amenities in his area.

The possible designation of Dunmore East as a landing port for UK-registered Northern Ireland fishing vessels is an important matter.As the House will be aware, in January 2021, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, designated five additional ports for landings by UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels, having given regard to the level of landing activity by these vessels at these ports in the recent past. Dunmore East was not designated at this point as there has been a low number of landings by these vessels in the past two to three years.

To elaborate, in 2018, there were 15 landings by UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels into Dunmore East. This reduced to nine landings in 2019 and reduced again further in 2020. Over 2018 and 2019, the total volume of landings into Dunmore East by these vessels amounted to 318 tonnes, as Senator Cummins indicated. The Minister understands that these were landings of nephrops, mainly from the Smalls fishing grounds off the south-east coast. The Minister included Howth as a designated port at the beginning of the year because there were 26 landings by UK-registered vessels into Howth in 2018, increasing to 28 landings in 2019. In comparison with Dunmore East, over 2018 and 2019, the total volume of landings into Howth by UK-registered vessels amounted to almost 1,050 tonnes, over three times the volume of landings into Dunmore East. The designation of Howth provides a landing option for UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels fishing for nephrops in the large fishing grounds in the north Irish Sea and may also provide an option for vessels fishing in the Smalls or Labidine fishing grounds.

The Sea Fisheries Protection Agency, SFPA, has already undertaken significant work in putting in place the arrangements necessary to provide for the five additional port designations. As the Minister has previously stated in the Dáil, there are significant practical and cost implications for the State in the designation of EU ports for third country landings as, under EU regulations, such designations represent an entry point to the European Union, following which food is free to circulate within the full EU Common Market. On this basis, for any ports designated, Ireland is obliged to ensure that it has in place a meaningful control presence. I assure Senator Cummins that the designation of ports for landings does not preclude vessels from coming into ports for force majeurereasons such as the need to reach a safe harbour.

When the Minister made the designations in January, this was done in immediate response to the Brexit situation and in consideration of the various pressures on the SFPA, as well as the various landing patterns in different ports. The Minister is fully aware that Dunmore East's location is strategically appropriate for any additional designation and that there is SFPA infrastructure and offices in the port. He will consider these and all other factors during any future review of the designation of additional ports. Finally, I assure Senator Cummins that the Minister will continue to engage with stakeholders on all issues, including designation of ports, relating to the fishing sector.