Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the actions he is taking fulfil the programme for Government commitment to "ensure that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit". [47109/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In December 2018, it was announced that vessels over 18 metres would be excluded from trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines from 1 January 2020. This decision to exclude vessels over 18 metres from trawling inside the six nautical miles was the subject of extended legal proceedings following a Judicial Review to the High Court taken by two applicant fishermen challenging the validity of the Policy Directive which underpinned the initiative. The outcome of these proceedings, only achieved earlier this year, is that Policy Directive 1 of 2019 has been quashed by an Order of Certiorari made by the Court of Appeal.

Further to the final judgement of the Courts, and on the basis of the advice received from legal counsel in respect of next steps, I have decided to proceed with a new public consultation in this matter.

I can advise that work is being carried out on the up-to-date scientific and economic advice by the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara, respectively, on trawling in the waters inside the six nautical miles. It has been five years since the original scientific and economic advice was compiled and the public consultation on this issue took place.

My Department is in the process of identifying policy options for my consideration and I remain committed to ensuring inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels.