Minister held accountable by Oireachtas Committee

Today, 16th December, Minister for State with responsibilities for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley TD appeared in front of an angry Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs to explain the disastrous outcome of last week’s EU fisheries negotiations where, basically, Ireland was ‘ganged up upon’ by four member states, abetted by a corrupt EU Council / Commission system that    seems to promote the benefit of certain countries at the cost of smaller nations, such as Ireland, writes Cormac Burke, IFSA.

As a politically neutral observer I should firstly point out that it seems that Minister Dooley has put great effort into educating himself and grasping the many complexities of this industry  … to the extent that within ten months since his appointment he has learned and understood more about this industry that his ineffective predecessor Charlie McConalogue did in a four-year term of office.

And as such, Mr Dooley had the good grace to answer the Committee’s questions to the best of his ability, even though he knew these answers were probably not what the industry wants to hear at this time but at least he tried to give clear and honest answers. And he repeatedly stated that he doesn’t believe that the concept of The Hague Preferences, although lost this time around, is gone and that Ireland can still fight this cause at future annual Council meetings.

However, it also seems to be the case that the Minister was largely cast adrift by his own Taoiseach and Tainiste who apparently made no attempt to support him in his efforts in Brussels and, despite availing of advice from industry representatives, one gets the feeling that Timmy Dooley, and Ireland, were very much alone at that meeting in Brussels.

A brief run down of questions and contributions from those in attendance:

1. Padraig MacLoughlainn TD SF Spokesperson for Fisheries asked if the Minister would push for the Irish Government to mount a legal challenge against this outcome, to which the Minister explained that the decision of last week cannot be revoked but, he will seek legal advice on if the acceptance at this meeting of a minority ‘blocking four’ nations was in contravention to CFP rules, then there may be some avenue to review the case;

1. Pat the Cope Gallagher FF TD pulled the Minister up on his comments that more foreign vessels landing to Ireland would help the processing sector and he said the ‘elephant in the room’ in this case was that the SFPA was actively driving away such vessels and he looked forward to a Government review of the legislation that helps the SFPA ‘hide’ from proper oversight…. He also enquired from the Minister if, as seems likely, the Irish fishing industry looses a large percentage of vessels and fishermen, would the SFPA staff numbers be reducing in a similar level?

1. Fine Gael’s Noel O’Donovan read out a passionate statement on behalf of the absent (for health reasons) of Senator Manus Boyle who’s comments of disillusionment will resound around the coast of the insult of people in Irish fishing ports this week having to still look at the EU Member State flags flying in their harbours. Then speaking on his own behalf, Mr O’Donovan pointed out that the vessel that went on the rocks at Dingle over the weekend (thankfully with no loss of life) was French registered, Portuguese crewed, fishing monk fish in Irish waters and landing it on to a lorry going straight back to Portugal or Spain… and all the time while Irish vessel lie tied ashore with no quota… and this is the reason for so much anger in the Irish fishing industry;

1. Leader of Independent Ireland Michael Collins TD was angry and very vocal about the entire fiasco and he summed his comments up with a simple “this has been theft of the highest order” as he demanded Ireland fights back. He added that its reaching the stage that, if the tonnage and quota can be arranged, Irish boat owners will be far better off and have a bigger allowance in Irish waters if they register their boats in Spain, France or elsewhere.

1. Meanwhile FG Senator Cathal Byrne (sadly the only person at this meeting to still be using the much hated word ‘fishers’) told the Minister that the Irish Government cannot take this situation and that they must stand up and challenge the EU;

Conor McGuinness SF TD and Chairman of the Oireachtas Committee said there was understandably a mood of anger, insult and shame amongst the fishing community at this time and he said it now feels like Ireland has become nothing more than an island colony of the EU at this stage.

Conclusion

From my own perspective there were two major points and food for thought arising from today’s meeting that one can only hope Minister Dooley will take away with him:

1. Every time Ireland looses some more quota in Irish waters then it in fact changes in status… for example, the tonnage of fish refused to us in The Hague Preferences which essentially is an amount of fish in Irish waters and therefore part of a resource owned by the citizens of this nation.. but by not having to give that to us, that amount of fish becomes under the ownership of a privately owned Dutch company.. or some other nation who all privately trade quota as a commodity…. So year after year, every time we are bled of more quota, its something that is being taken directly out of the public ownership of Irish people and put into the coffers of a foreign EU company;

1. I believe it was Conor McGuinness SF who made the excellent point that while everyone is being told that the ICES scientific advice claims that the stocks in Irish waters cannot sustain all the the various EU and non EU nations fishing in these waters, the fact not being mentioned is that the level of stocks currently in Irish waters CAN SUSTAIN the Irish fleet who actually own these waters…