Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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253. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of Irish vessels that have been fishing within the voisinage area of the coast of Northern Ireland since the Supreme Court judgment of 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14533/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Supreme Court judgment of 27 October 2016 to which the Deputy refers found that fishing by Northern Ireland vessels within the 0 to 6 nautical mile zone of the territorial waters of the State under the Voisinage arrangements is not currently provided for in domestic law. I am seeking to address this lack of provision through the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 which is currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

In respect of details of Irish vessels which have been fishing in the Northern Ireland 0 to 6 mile zone, this opportunity continues to be afforded to all registered Irish sea-fishing boats, subject to the same treatment as vessels there, as the arrangements continue to be observed by our Northern counterparts despite our current difficulties in reciprocating. The register of Irish sea-fishing boats is published regularly on my Department's website. The most recent register available showed a total of 2,060 vessels as of the 8th of March 2017.

Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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254. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legislation that is in place to allow Irish vessels to fish in the 0 to 6 mile zone of the coast of Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14534/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The reciprocal fishing arrangements between Ireland and Northern Ireland known as Voisinage arrangements allow vessels from Ireland to fish in the area from 0 to 6 nautical miles of Northern Ireland subject to the same treatment as vessels there, with equivalent access for vessels owned and operated in Northern Ireland to Ireland's 0 to 6 nautical mile zone. Following the Supreme Court Judgment of 27 October 2016 which found that there was insufficient provision in domestic law for these arrangements, Northern Ireland vessels have been unable to fish in the Irish 0 to 6 nautical mile zone. It is of note, however, that our Northern Irish counterparts continue to allow access to Irish vessels to their 0 to 6 nautical mile zone in line with the terms of the Voisinage arrangements.

As appropriate on an issue like this, there has been active engagement on this issue between myself and my Northern counterpart, the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Michelle McIlveen MLA.  Similarly there has been regular contact at official level between our respective departments. To date it has been made clear by our Northern Irish counterparts that they remain satisfied that the letters exchanged which underpin the original arrangements are sufficient basis on which to continue access.