Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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399. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for designating Rathmullan pier as a designated port for third country landings; his plans for the proposed designation in a post-Brexit scenario; if his attention has been drawn to the importance of Rathmullan pier as a landing port for pelagic, whitefish and vivier crab vessels due to its northern location and proximity to fishing grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10586/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under EU regulations, vessels from a non-EU country may only land fish at a limited number of ‘designated’ ports. This is to aid control and compliance and to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activity.

There are currently two Irish ports that have been designated for landings by vessels from a third country: Killybegs in Donegal and Castletownbere in Cork.

When the UK formally becomes a third country and the Common Fisheries Policy no longer applies to it, UK registered vessels will be restricted to landing fish at those two ports. The vast majority of current UK fish landings are to those ports. Consequently, at the moment there are no plans to designate additional ports.

However, if, as I very much hope will be the case, the Withdrawal Agreement is concluded, a transition period will apply where there will be no change to current practices for Irish or UK vessels for at least 2 years.

If, in the worst case scenario, no agreement is reached and there is a disorderly Brexit, then the UK will leave on the 29^thof March 2019. In that scenario, UK vessels would be restricted to landing in the two designated ports only from that date.