Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent)
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1038. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of meetings and discussions, including dates and length of meetings and conversations, he had with his European counterparts from his appointment as Minister up until the time of the final outcome of the Brexit fisheries deal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11137/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since my appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and prior to the conclusion of the EU-Trade and Cooperation Agreement on Christmas Eve last, I had frequent engagement with my European counterparts.

I attended Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 21^stSeptember 2020 - no fish items were discussed at this Council.

On 19^th& 20^thOctober 2020, I attended Fisheries Council, where the Baltic TACs were discussed. I also attended three bilateral meetings in relation to the EU-UK Future Relationship with Fisheries Ministers from France, Denmark and the Netherlands.

On 16^thNovember 2020, I attended an informal video conference with my fellow European Fisheries Ministers, but no fisheries items were raised.

On 27th November 2020, I, along with my Ministerial colleagues in the Group of 8, met with Mr Barnier, Fisheries Commissioner and DG Mare, where we were given an update on the state of play in the EU-UK fisheries negotiations. At this meeting, I urged Mr Barnier to stay firm on the link between the overall economic partnership and the conclusion of a fishing agreement and not to agree to any short-term arrangement on fisheries which would serve to break this link. I stressed that Ireland’s fishing industry needs a strong and stable EU/UK Fisheries agreement, and is in a particularly vulnerable position sharing our main fish stocks and our waters on three sides with the UK. I also emphasised that any outcome in the future relationship negotiations that results in a loss of quota share for the EU would be damaging to Ireland’s fishing industry.

On 15 & 16^thDecember, I attended December Council where provisional TAC and quotas were negotiated and agreed for 2021 and the EU-UK Future Relationship was discussed. I also attended a number of bilaterals with France, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark over the course of December Council at which these matters were further discussed.

These engagements were part of a whole-of-Government efforts involving, in particular, An Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs in the months leading up to the Brexit deal on Christmas Eve.