I thank Deputy Gallagher for raising this important issue. I also thank him for his guidance through this. As somebody with vast experience of the sector and an intimate knowledge at European level, he has been a source of good and wise counsel to me over recent months on this issue. He has identified the scientific advice now providing the backdrop to this and which will guide the total allowable catch for the pelagic sector for 2026, which was released on 30 September. I am acutely aware of the scale these reductions will have and the grave concerns for the seafood sector as a result, in particular in coastal communities which are so dependent on fishing from an economic and socioeconomic perspective. Killybegs is one of the prime examples of a fishing community that has developed the sector well through the foresight and ingenuity of some great people from a different era and made it what it is. It now sees a life's work and generational work counting for naught if this continues. From what the Deputy has said and from what we are all aware of, it is very clear that an unfortunate situation has been allowed to develop. A number of coastal states, of which Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands form a trio, have, through the unilateral allocation of quotas, engaged in a considerable amount of overfishing. Elements of the industry would indicate that over the past five years about 1 million tonnes have been fished above what would be acceptable based on scientific advice. That has had a huge impact on fish stocks. As the Deputy said, I met fishermen, fisherwomen and other interested parties in Killybegs on 5 October. On 8 October, I met relevant stakeholder groups as part of the annual sustainability impact assessment process. This provided a further opportunity to discuss that scientific advice. At the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in June and again in September, I highlighted Ireland's concerns regarding Norway's action in setting excessive and unsustainable mackerel quotas. I made it clear to the Commissioner and other member states that we need to take action to protect this important stock and send a clear message that actions that threaten the sustainability of our shared stocks are not acceptable to the EU. The programme for Government recognises the valuable role fisheries will play in the future of this country and in the communities that rely on this activity for their livelihood. Furthermore, it notes the commitment of the Government to defend Irish interests in the context of further negotiations between the EU and third countries. Last week, I presented that sustainability impact assessment to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to provide clear discussion at parliamentary level. We will have a debate on the issue here tomorrow. The assessment involved a public consultation process. Along with expert contributions from the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, this is an essential step in Ireland's preparations for the autumn negotiation on fishing opportunities for the forthcoming year. The sustainability impact assessment highlights the potential for significant impacts on the Irish fishing industry. I am committed to working across Departments to assess what supports may be available to the seafood sector at this very difficult time. I am conscious that fishermen and fisherwomen are not looking for handouts. They would far prefer to be getting fish to catch, process and sell to end users. I have had discussions with the EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans. I have obviously spoken to the Taoiseach and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to explore options within the constraints of EU and national Exchequer funding and the relevant EU and national legislation, in particular taking account of constraints imposed by EU state aid rules.

Sentiment score: 0.26

I thank Deputy Gallagher for his continued support. I have made it very clear to officials who negotiate on our behalf in advance of Council meetings that it cannot be business as usual. Today I instructed officials to vote against any access to blue whiting in European waters for Norway. I intend to maintain this position throughout. I accept we do not have a veto and that a blocking minority will be difficult. Notwithstanding this, we have to make it very clear, particularly as a country that will suffer most as a result of this overfishing and this unilateral allocation of quota, that we cannot allow a state that has robbed us of our breakfast, lunch and tea to expect we should hand it something in return. I do not believe this is acceptable or appropriate. We have to begin a process of a wider trade issue between the European Union and Norway in particular. Since my appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine, I have sought every opportunity to engage with all the stakeholders directly and I will continue to work with fishermen and women, processors, co-operatives and aquacultural operators to build a sustainable future for Ireland's fishing industry, which has shown itself to be resilient in the face of unprecedented challenges. I am also conscious it will require the wider support of the Government and to this extent, as I have said, I have spoken to a number of colleagues. It is my intention to prepare initially a memorandum of information for Government, which the Minister, Deputy Heydon, will forward and address at Cabinet level. I am looking forward to continued engagement here tomorrow as we have set aside three and a half hours to discuss this very issue. The Government remains committed to assisting the sector and recognises the significant threat and challenges we face.

Sentiment score: 0.22