Inland and Marine Fisheries: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-04 ============================================================ Robbie Gallagher (FF), Labour Panel The Minister of State is very welcome to the House this afternoon. Speaking on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, we welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on inland and marine fisheries. As the Minister of State knows, Ireland's waters are among the most valuable natural resources. With a coastline of approximately 7,500 km, one of the longest in the European Union, our maritime area is central to our economy, our environment and the livelihoods of coastal communities across the country. Fianna Fáil deeply values the role of fisheries in supporting jobs, sustaining rural and coastal communities and contributing to national economic activity. This is why the Government has re-established the dedicated role of Minister of State for fisheries and the marine, ensuring focused political leadership in this vital sector. I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, on his role to date. However, the challenges facing the industry are stark. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has published deeply concerning scientific advice for 2026 in respect of several stocks of significant importance to Ireland, including mackerel, blue whiting, boarfish and prawns. The impact of this advice became clear at the December AGRIFISH Council where fisheries opportunities for 2026 were set. These losses were further compounded by the failure to secure the Hague preferences. Bord Iascaigh Mhara's most recent analysis indicates a reduction in the value of Ireland's quotas across all stock of approximately €102 million compared with 2025. That has serious brutal impacts on our coastal community. Importantly, this €102 million reduction does not capture the wider economic impact across the seafood value chain. Fish processors, ancillary services and coastal employment are all directly affected. Members of this value chain, particularly processors dependant on pelagic species, have expressed serious concerns about the viability of their business without adequate supply of raw material from Irish vessels. The outcomes of the December AGRIFISH Council will result in severely reduced fishing opportunities in 2026. The scientific advice underpinning these decisions reflects in large part the impact of sustained overfishing of the mackerel stock in certain third countries. The consequences in Ireland are profound and the Minister of State has outlined that in his contribution. The total allowable catch for mackerel has been reduced by 70% alongside a 41% reduction in blue whiting and a 22% reduction in boarfish. Given that Ireland holds the largest share of EU quota for mackerel in the western waters area, the effects of this collapse will be felt acutely by Irish fishers and coastal communities. Ireland had consistently called for decisive action against countries that continue to overfish shared stocks. The Government has urged the European Union to send a clear and unambiguous message that practices that undermine the sustainability of shared marine resources are totally unacceptable. The AGRIFISH Council discussed the need for a co-ordinated EU response, including the potential triggering of the unsustainable fishing regulations. This is an approach for which the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, has advocated for some time and will continue to pursue in defence of Ireland's fishing sector and the long-term sustainability of our seas. The Hague preferences are a long-established element of EU fisheries policy. They have been applied annually since the late 1980s to reflect Ireland's historically underdeveloped fishing fleet and the disproportionate access granted to other member states to Irish waters. When invoked, they allow additional quota to be allocated to Ireland from within the existing EU shares. For 2026, Ireland fully invoked the Hague preferences. Despite extensive and sustained engagement by the Minister of State with a range of other member states both in advance of and during a November and December AGRIFISH Council, a blocking minority led by France prevented their application. As a result, the Danish Presidency excluded the Hague preferences from the final compromise on fishing opportunities. Ireland made clear its strong objection to this outcome, particularly given the inconsistency in allowing this core element of relative sustainability to be blocked, while refusing to reopen discussion on another relatively sustainable issue. Ireland has consistently called for urgent EU action and this position has been repeatedly raised at the AGRIFISH Council, including in January. The European Commission has confirmed that it is pursuing all technical, diplomatic and political avenues to resolve these issues and I sincerely wish it well. While fishing opportunities have been reduced, it is important to note that the Irish fleet will still have access to over 120,000 tonnes of quota in 2026. The Minister has committed to establishing a food vision 2030 working group, chaired by Mr. Michael Berkery, to develop a framework of supports for the sector, and engagement with stakeholders is ongoing. Is there a timeframe for that work to be completed? Budget 2026 provides €157.7 million to support the fisheries sector for 2026. The Government remains fully committed to defending Ireland's fishing interests, supporting coastal communities and ensuring the long-term sustainability of our fishing sector. In conclusion, as the Minister of State knows well, there is great worry and stress in our coastal communities at the moment of the outcome of all of this and what their future holds. It is vitally important. I know the Minister of State will stand firm on behalf of the Irish Government and on behalf of the coastal communities, which, at this point in time, are deeply worried and deeply concerned for what their future holds. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-04/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-04