Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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447. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage in any consultation with fishermen or their representative organisations in respect of the review of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29037/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have had many discussions with industry representatives over the course of the reform which as you will be aware was first proposed by the EU Commission back in mid 2011. Due to the particular time pressures during the specific period of the EU Presidency, it was simply not possible to schedule as many meetings with industry representatives as I would have liked. I met the Federation of Irish Fishermen twice in Dublin during that extremely busy period and I also met them when they travelled to the Council meetings. Indeed, I had a lengthy and very useful meeting with the FIF during the critical May Fisheries Council when the final Council mandate was being negotiated. I was fully aware at all times of the position of Irish fishermen from consultations and submissions over the course of the entire reform period. I very much appreciated and valued their input.

It is important to both understand and accept that Ireland’s fisheries are managed collaboratively at EU level through the Common Fisheries Policy. Our EU colleagues will acknowledge, I believe, that Ireland is prepared to drive a hard bargain in every area of fisheries policy determined at EU level and I believe our record over the past two years has been one of steady progress across a range of issues. While I always strenuously argue Ireland’s case on all issues related to fisheries, it is not always possible for any individual Member State, whether large or small, to achieve absolutely everything wished for in terms of outcomes.

An impartial assessment of the new CFP reforms will, I believe, show that many of the proposals from the Irish industry, have been delivered either in full or in part in the final agreement. I believe that these reforms once implemented and embedded will in due course provide the basis for a significant period of growth in both our own domestic Irish fishing industry and in EU fisheries generally.

I have recently been in touch with all recognised industry representatives to advise them of the detail of the reforms and of my intention to convene a meeting in the coming weeks to consult them directly on the implementation of the reform including on the ‘discards ban/ obligation to land’ aspects.