I thank Deputies for their contributions and the Minister of State for his contribution earlier in the session, for being here for the entire debate and for his ongoing stellar work in what has been a really difficult year. I also recognise also the presence of representatives of industry. I thank them for being in Brussels last week. It was good to meet with them over there. I also thank them also for their close collaboration. Their close work with the Minister of State has given us the best chance to work together as well as we can in what has been a really difficult time. The range and the passion in the contributions speak to the importance this issue holds in our rural coastal communities. It is important to remember that Ireland has received 120,000 tonnes of quota to fish for 2026. This is a reduction from last year of valuable stocks such as mackerel and nephrops but we will ensure that this quota is managed carefully. The quota management advisory committee, which includes representatives of all sectors of the industry, the marine agencies and my Department, has already engaged on planning for 2026. While cognisant of the impact the reduction of quarter for important species will have on our fleet, we also need to be conscious of the potential impact of reduced quota on our inshore fleet. The reduction in quota from pelagic species like mackerel and blue whiting is unlikely to shift additional focus to non-quota stocks in the short term. However, it will have an impact on the price of bait. The sector reports that bait accounts for approximately 20% of inshore vessel expenses. The development of alternative sources of bait is vitally important in supporting the inshore sector's viability. BIM and ATU Galway are working on innovative solutions, including green crab-based bait blocks. Initial trials have shown promising results with further testing planned in 2026. A common theme of the contributions has been the implication of Ireland's Hague preferences. We need to be clear as we were last week on what the Hague preferences are. To recap, the Hague preference system recognises Ireland's heavy dependency on the stocks in the waters around Ireland and the fact that we have relatively low quota entitlements to these stocks, particularly whitefish, under the Common Fisheries Policy. The system grants Ireland a larger share of certain stocks when the absolute amounts allocated via the relative stability share fall below a certain level. This was to mitigate the low residence stability share Ireland that was achieved by Ireland's underdeveloped sector based on the track record in the years immediately after accession in 1973 and considering the substantial additional waters available to the EEC-EU when Ireland expanded its exclusive economic zone from 1976 onwards. The Hague preferences are based on commitments made in annex 7 of the Council resolution on 3 November 1976 - the Hague resolution - to take account of the vital needs of communities that were especially dependent on fishing when allocating fishing quotas to each of the member states. This commitment was later quantified as specified minimum quantities of quota for certain fish stocks to be allocated to certain fisheries-dependent communities. The regions to which they applied were Ireland and northern parts of the UK. The Hague preferences are invoked during the annual TAC and quota process. They have to be agreed by member states of the December council and are often the subject of difficult negotiations. Following the UK's withdrawal from the, EU Ireland is the only member state that benefits from these preferences. While the additional quota benefits Irish fishers, it must come from somewhere else. The countries affected by this were Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Germany and, to a modest extent, Poland. However, other than mackerel, it has a very low impact on Germany and Netherlands. There has been strong opposition from some member states to the principle of the Hague preferences. These member states argued that they were taken into account when allocation keys were first established in 1983. With the Common Fisheries Policy framework regulation, the Hague preferences are recognised as forming part of relative stability in the allocation of fish stocks between member states. Ireland has consistently and successfully argued that relative stability has therefore to be applied when taking due account of prior Hague agreements. However, these were the subject of a European Court of Justice judgment in 1998, which convinced some member states the application of the Hague preferences takes place at the discretion of the Council rather than being an automatic legal entitlement for Ireland. A key question both this afternoon and at the committee yesterday was what legal action Ireland will take in respect of the exclusion of Ireland's Hague preferences from the compromise text. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, was quite clear at the committee yesterday, and I echo his view, that legal advice will be sought on any and all further actions that may be possible. We will consider that advice carefully. However, the more important message from our fishing sector is that it wants fish. Fish must be managed sustainably as when a stock is depleted, it will stay that way unless we take actions to support its regrowth. The Minister of State has outlined the most recent development in relation to the total allowable catch of mackerel in the Atlantic. We will engage closely with the EU while it considers its position in light of the recent actions by Norway, the UK, Iceland and the Faroes. Meanwhile, we must recognise that our fishing and seafood sector must be supported through this very difficult time. Having had a number of engagements with the sector over the past two weeks, both with An Taoiseach and before the Council in Brussels, I am clear that despite the resilience shown by the sector, a whole-of-government approach is required to support it through this particular challenge. Both I and the Minister of State have committed to engaging with colleagues across Government to assess what framework of supports may be available to the seafood sector, to explore options within the constraints of the EU and national Exchequer funding and relevant EU and national legislation, in particular, taking account of the constraints that can arise from EU state aid rules for the fisheries sector. I have discussed at Cabinet the need to establish a working group under the auspices of our Food Vision 2030 strategy to advance this commitment. A key priority for the food vision-seafood group will be to ensure that a platform of economic, environmental and social sustainability supports is available to the fisheries and seafood processing sectors and their coastal communities. The new group will be chaired by an independent chair and will include representatives from the fishing organisations, aquaculture, seafood processing organisations, my Department and its agencies, and other relevant Departments and agencies. I, along with the Minister of State, will determine the terms of reference for the food vision-seafood group. We will appoint that independent chair and will request nominations for membership from relevant Departments and agencies. It is intended to hold the first meeting of the group in January 2026. The programme for Government, Securing Ireland's Future, commits to securing a sustainable future for the fisheries sector, while supporting coastal communities that rely on this activity for their livelihood. Both I and the Minister of State will lead the charge on that work drawing on the support of all Government colleagues. We will work together across Government to deliver on this commitment.

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