Conor D McGuinness Demands Whole-of-Government Action on Fisheries
Conor D McGuinness urged a whole-of-government response to imminent fisheries quota negotiations, warned the industry is "in free fall," and pressed for accountability reforms at the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and co‑design for offshore renewables. He said the December Council negotiations are "make or break" for the fishing industry and coastal communities and called for the Taoiseach to become directly involved.
The speaker told the committee the December Council has begun and next year’s fisheries quota talks are under way. He said the industry is in free fall, described the negotiations as make-or-break for coastal employment, and argued that negotiating in a silo will not win the concessions and additional quota that are needed.
He reported recent evidence from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to the committee as "utterly unsatisfactory" and said there is a perceived deficit in accountability and transparency. The committee’s rapporteur will bring recommendations early in the new year and the speaker indicated those recommendations may require legislative change.
He asked how offshore renewable energy proposals will ensure co-design with coastal communities rather than an extractive model. The speaker argued that communities bearing the greatest impact from offshore infrastructure should receive the greatest dividend.
In response, the Taoiseach acknowledged fisheries as a core issue, noted engagement with the EU Commission and cited research saying the area is overfished largely by non‑EU fleets. The Taoiseach also outlined the need to consider Exchequer supports within state aid constraints and said ministers are negotiating at the Fisheries Council while larger-scale intervention and innovative supports may be required given the combined impact of overfishing and Brexit reductions.
Fisheries quota negotiations
The speaker told the committee the December Council has begun and next year’s fisheries quota talks are under way. He said the industry is in free fall, described the negotiations as make-or-break for coastal employment, and argued that negotiating in a silo will not win the concessions and additional quota that are needed.
Concerns about the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority
He reported recent evidence from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to the committee as "utterly unsatisfactory" and said there is a perceived deficit in accountability and transparency. The committee’s rapporteur will bring recommendations early in the new year and the speaker indicated those recommendations may require legislative change.
Offshore renewable energy and co-design
He asked how offshore renewable energy proposals will ensure co-design with coastal communities rather than an extractive model. The speaker argued that communities bearing the greatest impact from offshore infrastructure should receive the greatest dividend.
Response from the Taoiseach and wider implications
In response, the Taoiseach acknowledged fisheries as a core issue, noted engagement with the EU Commission and cited research saying the area is overfished largely by non‑EU fleets. The Taoiseach also outlined the need to consider Exchequer supports within state aid constraints and said ministers are negotiating at the Fisheries Council while larger-scale intervention and innovative supports may be required given the combined impact of overfishing and Brexit reductions.
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Transcript
I'll run through just three of the biggest items that the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Committee has been dealing with over the last number of months. The first will come as no surprise to you today, the December Council begins and the fisheries quota negotiations for next year are underway. The entire committee and myself were adamant that these negotiations need a whole of government approach. We've said as much to Minister Dooley on several occasions. The industry is in free fall. I know that you met with industry, fishing industry representatives fairly recently. And these negotiations are make or break for the fishing industry in Ireland and for our coastal communities. And what we need is you as head of government to play a role in these negotiations. We have a minister who's going over there against larger countries with larger fishing interests, with senior ministers around the table. And negotiating in a silo is not going to cut it to extract the concessions, the hate preferences and the additional quota that we need. So we need you as head of government and we need a whole of government approach. So I'd ask you, what will you be doing today and tomorrow to assist in those negotiations? We had the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority before the committee very recently. Utterly unsatisfactory in how they engage with the committee. The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, the SFPA, as part of a wider piece of work that we're doing on Sea Fisheries Protection more broadly. And my colleague, Deputy Padraig McLaughlin, is rapporteur on that. And not to preempt his recommendations in that report that he will bring before the committee early in the new year. But picking up the mood of the committee members, indeed my own assessment, is that there is a deficit when it comes to accountability and transparency for that particular agency. And I think that will necessitate legislative change. So I'd like you to look at that and to be supportive of those committee recommendations when they do come in the new year to legislate. And very briefly, you mentioned offshore renewable energy in your opening statement. What will you do to ensure co-design is at the very core of how offshore renewable energy is developed? And that rather than going down to the extractive and exploitive model of energy generation off our coast, we have one that benefits coastal communities and that ensures that coastal communities that bear the greatest impact, I suppose, of this infrastructure and development get the greatest dividend. Deputy McGuinness, on fisheries, it is a core issue. I met with the group. To be frank, I mean, I do engage with the Commission on a whole range of issues. We have to maintain a very constructive relationship with the European Union Commission. I've spoken to President von der Leyen in respect of derogation and nitrates, in respect of all of the entirety of issues in agriculture. And we will have to engage with the Commission, it seems to me, on fishing. Because ICE's research is saying it's overfished. Not by us, by the way, but by others who the European Union engage with. Non-EU countries who are overfishing the entire area. It would mean a 70% reduction in pelagic catch. That's on top of a 20-odd percent reduction as a result of Brexit. So this is existential for the industry. That means I think we're going to have to go back to the Commission in respect of whatever supports we want to give from our own Exchequer, which at the moment would have to take on board state aid rules, which I understand from talking to officials are quite restrictive in respect of what states can do. But given the very exceptional nature of what's hitting the industry, we're going to have to be innovative and responsive. And yes, there will be, I mean, Minister Dooley with Minister Hayden are negotiating now in terms of the Fisheries Council, but it's beyond that in terms of scale and impact. And I take your point on, I mean, I'm very aware of that. And, you know, Deputy Patrick Ope-Gallagher, all the deputies in Donegal, West Cork, and coastal communities more general are very concerned about this because the impact on those communities would be very, very significant. Because there's large concentrations of employment in Donegal, Castle-Lumbert, Waterford, Wexford, and so forth.