Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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882. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department engaged in consultation with the EU Commission regarding the recent limited EU-US trade deal which plans remove tariffs on American lobster imported to the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25067/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has the lead role in considering trade deals and their impact on the Irish economy. My Department is liaising with the relevant officials in that Department in this regard and has raised queries with the European Commission in relation to its assessment of the impact of the deal on EU producers of lobster to ensure that the value of this seafood product to Ireland and other EU countries is fully understood and recognised.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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883. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department engaged in consultation with the fishing industry here regarding the recent limited EU-US trade deal which plans to remove tariffs on American lobster imported to the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25068/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Chair of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum has formally written to invite me to meet with the Forum which represents the the small scale coastal fleet for whom lobster is a key product. I look forward to meeting with the Forum at the earliest mutually convenient opportunity.

In the meantime, my Department has recently provided the Forum with an update on Ireland's engagement to date on the proposed trade deal.