I put this question on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, who is otherwise detained this morning. Ireland's inshore fishing fleet is facing an emergency. Rising costs, shrinking quotas and climate-driven weather losses are pushing family fishing businesses to the brink. The National Inshore Fishermen's Association, NIFA, has produced a practical and affordable proposal for an inshore fisheries stabilisation and climate adaptation scheme. Does the Minister of State consider it is may be time to stop commissioning further reports and commit to working directly with NIFA to deliver targeted supports before more boats leave our harbours and are tied up?

Sentiment score: -0.19

I expected that the Minister of State would refer to state aid rules and how they might prevent this, but I do not believe that argument stands up. I acknowledge the work of NIFA and the inshore sector in producing these reports. NIFA has appeared before the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and has been engaging with Deputy Mac Lochlainn and others for a long time. The truth is that the industry is in crisis and has been under pressure for many years. There is a level of deterioration. The Minister of State knows the European Commission can approve a derogation from state aid rules. It has done so for the vessel fuel supports and in many other cases. I believe if this were affecting another primary producing sector and impacting dairy, tillage or beef production, the Government would already have sought that derogation. However, because it involves fishermen, and the inshore sector in particular, the Minister of States is pre-empting what the Commission may say to us if we were to ask. He must not hide behind what the Commission may say. Instead, he needs to argue and make the case for a derogation from state aid rules in order that this urgent financial assistance can be provided. If that means declaring an emergency and owning up to the fact that the fisheries sector is in crisis, then let us do that.

Sentiment score: -0.02

I also note the publication of the Mulvey report this week. It is underwhelming and there is not an expectation in the sector that the Berkery report will move this on much further, but that remains to be seen. My call to the Minister of State is that he and this Government accept that the inshore sector is facing an emergency and, based on that, they should now go and make the case to Brussels. Work can be done on other issues, such as quota, access and a fair proportion of fishing opportunity. This is about keeping the industry afloat. The industry is on its knees and has been facing a slow deterioration as a result of policy and inequity driven by Brussels over many years. It is now at a point from which it may never return. We may lose our inshore sector unless it gets direct financial assistance. It is important to note that the sector never came looking for anything from the State aside from fair access to our waters. Now, when it does come looking it is told to wait for a second report, after which the Government might make a case to Europe. As I said, if this were any other primary producing sector, the Minister of State would be in Brussels now making the case for derogation. That needs to happen.

Sentiment score: 0.06