Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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471. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on his negotiations with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Agency in designating Dunmore East Harbour as a landing port for fishing vessels from third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50772/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, in January 2021 I signed into force the Sea Fisheries (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing)(Amendment) Regulations 2021 (SI No 37/2021), the main purpose of which is to add 5 additional ports (Rathmullen, Burtonport, Greencastle, Howth and Ros A Mhil) to the existing ports of Killybegs and Castletownbere as designated ports for direct landings by fishing vessels registered to Third Countries outside the EU, allowing entry to the EU of such fishery products.

I should inform the Deputy that the current ports designated and the opening days and times for those ports were decided to allow for Northern Ireland registered vessels to continue to land into Irish ports, while ensuring that the SFPA has the capacity to continue to perform its vital control functions effectively.

I can inform the Deputy by way of update that my Department asked the SFPA to examine certain matters pertaining to the designation of additional ports for Third County landings and a response from the SFPA was received very recently, which I am at present actively considering. My officials will continue to liaise with SFPA in this matter with a view to the possible designation of additional port(s) for such landings and or the extension of landings times and days etc at certain port(s) already designated in this context.

I would also like to assure the Deputy that the designation of ports for landings does not preclude vessels from coming into ports such as Dunmore East for force majeure reasons such as safe harbour.