The outcome of the recent EU Fisheries Council has landed a devastating blow on Irish fishing families in coastal communities. It is an affront to Ireland's sovereignty over its national resources. Irish fishermen now face catastrophic losses. Jobs are at risk in my own county and elsewhere. Local economies are going to be stripped of hundreds of millions of euro and families who have worked the sea for generations are being told that their livelihoods may no longer survive. This is all happening at a time vast wealth continues to be extracted from Irish waters for the benefit of powerful interests based elsewhere. Safeguards such as the Hague preferences, designed to recognise Ireland's preferable position and underdeveloped fleet, were blocked and stripped away, leaving Irish fishermen exposed in their own waters. Serious questions have been raised about the influence of large EU-based corporate actors in shaping these outcomes. It is not just a policy failure; it is a failure of political will. Unlike other EU leaders, the Taoiseach failed to show up on this issue, as did the Tánaiste. Does the Government have a battle plan for Ireland's seafood industry? "Yes" or "No". Will it include immediate action, including legal action to defend Irish fishing livelihoods, which have been devastated as a result of this deal?

Sentiment score: -0.12