It is not a simple answer.

If the Deputy was aware of the way that European fisheries work, he would know it is not a simple answer-----

-----because things can be agreed at a European level by qualified majority voting, QMV.

Nobody could tell the Deputy "Yes" or "No". I can, however, tell him that the approach I have taken as Minister is the reason that no mandate has been agreed at European level in respect of any engagement with Iceland. While other member states could vote us down, should they decide to, and go for a qualified majority vote, they are respecting the position I am taking at European level and the position I am outlining, which is very much that our waters should be respected and if there is any access to our waters, w…

I thank everyone for their contributions this evening. I am certainly happy to have this debate any time the Dáil seeks time and for as long as is necessary. If the Business Committee wanted to allocate more time to everyone and more time for answers, I would be delighted because there is more nonsense spewed on social media and more misinformation on the fishing sector than any other. You cannot beat discussing issues face to face, eyeball to eyeball, and teasing them out in sufficient detail. That is why I go aro…

On the six-mile review, there is an eight-week consultation period. I hope to have the document finalised and the policy published by the final quarter of this year. By the autumn of this year, I want this process concluded and what has been raised in consultation fully considered and brought into play. The former Minister, Deputy Creed, did really good work on this. It was struck down by the courts on a minor technicality. It took a long time to go through the courts and now we have to go through the process. Thin…

The town of Killybegs, which Deputy Pringle mentioned, has probably been impacted by Brexit more than anywhere else in Europe. The sector most affected by Brexit is the fisheries sector, and Killybegs, being the fisheries capital of this country, has therefore suffered the biggest impact in terms of quota, etc. I remember being on a debate on Highland Radio with Deputy Pringle, whose arms were locked with Gregory Campbell MP advocating that the UK, including Northern Ireland, should leave the EU and do Brexit. I ha…

The town most impacted by Brexit in Ireland, if not Europe, is Killybegs. With regard to Brexit adjustment reserve funding, I put €33 million into Killybegs over the past two years through various schemes. The processing sector in Killybegs alone got €12 million in grants. Recently, €8 million was made available for the pelagic liquidity aid scheme. Over the three or four years I have been Minister, I have invested €33 million in addition to the reserve funding to extend Smooth Point pier, and another €5 million is…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. The work of the ICBF is massively important and is something I very strongly support through the suckler calf scheme and the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, and through, for example, the recent investment we made last year which will see our national herd become the first herd in the world to be fully genotyped. All of that data will be held by the ICBF on behalf of farmers. The board of the ICBF is made up of stakeholders, including farm representatives. The s…

I thank the Deputy. It is a really important scheme for farmers and one we significantly backed with a 50% increase in funding. That led to a very high application rate last year. Some 46,000 farmers applied even though we expected approximately 30,000. I made the decision to accept every one of those because I wanted everybody who wanted to participate in ACRES last year, to be able to do so. That put significant pressure on the system in terms of being able to pay everyone. I had hoped, and we worked hard, to try…

Throughout February, I expect the majority of co-operation payments to be made.

I thank the Deputy. As she knows, there was a court case which struck down a previous decision which was a very good one which was taken forward-----

-----and we received the final judgment in that court case a few months ago. My team and I have been working on this and doing all the preparatory work that is necessary to start this again. The Deputy will understand, given our previous experience relating to the court challenge, which ultimately knocked it down, that we have to be very careful and judicious in each step of that. This is something I want to step forward as quickly as possible. I am very concerned about what is going on with larger vessels, particu…

The decision taken by the UK in 2016 to leave the European Union has resulted in a long and complex path for the UK, the EU and Ireland in plotting a way to a new post-Brexit relationship. We have already seen a wide range of impacts, and while almost eight years have passed since the UK decision, the ramifications are still playing out. The conclusion of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, TCA, in 2021 does provide a sound basis for future EU and UK engagement and it avoided the negative and immediate impac…

I thank Senator Mullen for submitting the Commencement matter this morning. I have no problem extending the date. We want to receive submissions on the matter and we want to be open. It is not particularly time-sensitive but is something we want to conclude in a timely fashion. I will ask the officials to ensure it is widely advertised. I certainly want people to be aware of it and today's debate will help ensure people are aware of it. I will give extra time and ensure it is prominently highlighted. We want to ens…

We have a real issue with dog worrying and sheep kills. However, in those cases, it is irresponsible and reckless behaviour by owners who are not keeping track of where their dogs are and their dogs are escaping and killing sheep. The owners normally are not there with a remote control to call them back; the dogs are normally causing slaughter. Therefore, the idea that the collar is being used in those cases, where reckless people are not looking after their dog-----

That is a perimeter around a garden. This is an important consultation. I do not think it is the way to train dogs. I spent much of my youth training dogs and sheepdogs for local farmers. Anybody who has to use one of these is not a good trainer.

That is not how you train dogs.

That is not how you train dogs. There is a purpose and use for them regarding keeping dogs safe no more than I would stay from an electric fence as you, an animal or a dog would. That is boundary fence.

The case where somebody has a remote control and is shocking an animal with a collar is a different kettle of fish. The public consultation is timely. Let us get people’s views in. I will provide the space and time for that to happen and we will then reflect on it.