Newly elected Irish MEPs have defended their decision not to prioritise representation on the European Parliament's fisheries committee, which will be handling key issues including the review of the Common Fisheries Policy and the post-Brexit share out of fish stocks next year.
Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation (IFPO) chief executive Aodh O Donnell has described it as a "disgrace", and has questioned why there is no full Irish representation, when Spain has five of the 27 seats and France has four.
"Even “landlocked Hungary” has a full seat"
Independent MEP Luke “Ming” Flanagan is a substitute on the committee, which means he can table amendments but does not have voting rights.
Even “landlocked Hungary” has a full seat, Mr O Donnell pointed out.
“The Netherlands with a coastline approximately one sixth (451km) the length of the Republic of Ireland’s (almost 3,000km) will have four members on the fisheries committee,” Mr O Donnell said.
“Croatia that has a population of over a million less than Ireland has two members while Malta that has a population of 500,000 also has a member on the influential committee,” he said.
Ireland has been represented on the fisheries committee since its inception in 1994, with former Fianna Fáil MEP Pat the Cope Gallagher serving three terms.
"It's a disgrace that Ireland with the largest waters of any state in the EU in the north-east Atlantic has no representation,” Mr O Donnell said.
“It means Ireland has no voice of influence… ahead of next year’s review of the Brexit-Trade and Co-operation Agreement and the planned evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy, both of which are of strategic importance to Irish fishing communities,” Mr O Donnell said.
He pointed out that Ireland’s seafood sector currently contributes €1.3billion to the Irish economy per year.
Fianna Fáil MEP Barry Cowen said that he was only entitled to one full membership of a committee and one substitute, and his primary focus is agriculture.
“ Representation on the fisheries committee is something we are conscious of, and we will try to orchestrate a more meaningful contribution,” Mr Cowen said.
A spokesman for newly elected Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly said that he had “honoured a commitment to seek membership of the fisheries committee, but due to the rules that returning MEPs from all member states have first call, he was regrettably not successful”.
The spokesman said that Mr Mullooly would work with “the Irish MEP who is a substitute ..to the benefit of the Irish fishing industry”.
Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh said she sat on the fisheries committee during her previous term, had worked closely with the fishing industry and communities over the past five years, and recently visited Killybegs, Co Donegal where she called for a dedicated minister of state for fisheries and the marine.
"My top priority is to represent the Irish agricultural sector, which includes our fisheries,” she said.
Ms Walsh said she had been appointed to the agriculture and rural development and the regional development committees through which she would be “a dedicated and impactful voice for the Irish fishing industry”.
"The Irish fishing sector has faced significant challenges particularly in the post-Brexit years since 2021, facing a loss of 15% of our quota overnight,”she said, and the sector “is now on a downward trajectory” with a 14 per cent decrease in seafood exports between 2022 and 2023.
"As part of my committee work, I will ensure that these challenges are tackled at the European level, and ultimately, to see that Irish fishing communities are not forgotten,”she said.