As the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, will realise, the Irish seafood industry is critical to rural coastal communities, providing 11,500 jobs in such peripheral areas. Some 2,100 fishing vessels throughout the country are dependent on the industry. That industry and those people are dependent on an effective Common Fisheries Policy to sustain their livelihoods and their communities.

Last week I met representatives of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation and the Irish Fishermen's Organisation, IFO. I met both organisations together and was surprised that they were angry, annoyed, disillusioned and disappointed in the Minister in regard to the outcome of the Common Fisheries Policy review, in particular with regard to the lack of consultation between the Minister and them in the past while in the lead-up to the agreement which was ultimately reached. They felt they had not been consulted in any cohesive way on the current round of negotiations, the outcome of which has, in their words, "the potential to place the majority of our members out of business". That was a different kind of picture and perspective I received last Friday from the horse's mouth, from those who work in the industry. Afterwards, there was a presentation of press releases and a general media treatment of the deal. In particular, the representatives believe the discard compromise is unworkable from the point of view of the Irish whitefish industry, given the mixed nature of the fisheries in which the majority of whitefish vessels operate.

The implications for rural coastal communities would be adverse, particularly in places like Castletownbere, Union Hall and Baltimore. The Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation has also been highly critical of the proposal.

Why did the Minister fail to persuade his colleagues to directly enshrine the Hague preferences in the deal? I am aware that Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP tabled an amendment at the trilogue to include the Hague preferences in the recitals, which means they are now subject to annual negotiations when it comes to the allocation of quotas. However, while due regard will now have to be paid to the preferences, they were not directly included in the deal itself.

Four young fishermen who accompanied the group told me that young Irish people will no longer go into fishing. They would prefer to emigrate than fish in Ireland. They pointed out that crews now comprise Filipinos, Egyptians and eastern Europeans. What does that say about the absence of an overall plan for the development of a sustainable fishing industry? I was left with that thought as I departed west Cork last Friday and I ask the Minister about the lack of consultation, the workability of discards - I know the policy is being phased in over ten years - the Hague preferences and the future for young people in fishing.

I thank Deputy Martin for raising this issue because I have spent considerable time during the Irish Presidency on brokering a deal with the European Parliament, the Commission and other member states which would radically reform the way in which Europe's fishing fleet fishes, link science in a real way with the calculation of quotas and total allowable catches each year and ensure we are fishing stocks as commercially as we can in terms of maximising catches while at the same time protecting stocks. I am a strong defender of the CFP reform we have agreed and so too is Deputy Martin's colleague from County Donegal, Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP who voted this morning in favour of this reform at the PECH committee of the European Parliament. The vote was 20 to one in favour of the reform and the only MEP to vote against it was from the far left who was never going to vote for it in any event. For the first time ever the Spanish fishing industry, which has the largest commercial fleet in the European Union, the Spanish Government and the Green Party in the Parliament, which is the strongest advocate of NGO concerns about sustainability, are all in favour of a CFP reform that Deputy Martin suggests is a bad deal.

It is doomed then.

I suggest the Deputy should examine the detail of the reform.

I would always like more consultation with the fishing industry. It is true that it has been a while since I toured many of the fisheries harbours and I will do so again over the summer months. It is untrue to say that I do not have ongoing contact with fisheries organisations, whether from the south and west, Killybegs, the south and east or the Irish Sea. We meet regularly. We meet in Brussels, Luxembourg or Dublin in advance of almost every Council meeting dealing with fisheries issues. I cannot be accused of being a Minister who is not easy to contact.

On the substantive reform of CFP and ending the discarding of fish, we currently have an indefensible situation whereby between 400,000 tonnes and 500,000 tonnes of dead fish are dumped in Irish waters annually because fishing vessels do not have quotas to land them. We are ending that procedure by putting in place the flexibility to allow fishing fleets to operate in a way that makes commercial and practical sense. We have had significant input from the fishing industry. This is why, after political agreement was reached on CFP reform, Sean O'Donoghue and others came home and sold it. In the coming weeks we will put in place a stakeholders' group led by fishermen to draw up an implementation plan for the discards ban, or the obligation to land as it is known. Fishermen will be directly involved in the implementation of this radical reform. It makes sense for them because it will build up stocks and it makes sense for the stocks themselves that Irish waters remain fertile grounds for fishing.

The Minister accused me of being critical. I articulated what the fishermen said to me last Friday. There is no point in getting up on a high horse to attack me.

I think the Deputy heard the wrong answer.

Last week, I met a fisherman who employs 23 people in Castletownbere. That is the type person to whom I listen. The Minister acknowledged that he did not get around to meeting fishermen in advance of the talks.

I did not say that.

They were told that the horsemeat scandal and the fodder crisis were the reasons he could not meet them for a meaningful face-to-face discussion. I am only relaying what the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation and this man who employs 23 people have said to me. They said the Minister was a great disappointment. This is what is being said.

The Deputy's time is nearly up.

His time was up two years ago.

I am conscious of that. Fishermen do not feel positive at present. They have no sense of the practical workability and implications of the discard policy, particularly in regard to the whitefish industry. I spoke to Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP who managed to table an amendment insisting that due regard be paid to the Hague preferences. He was very disappointed that the Hague preferences - he said this to me one hour ago - were not enshrined in the new agreement.

He voted for it this morning.

That is not the point. The Minister knows what has to happen in the European Parliament in terms of compromise proposals, particularly between the Council, the Commission and the Parliament. MEPs cannot have their own way on everything.

Say one thing at home and another in Brussels.

He has articulated his main criticism, namely, the absence of the Hague preferences from the treaty itself. That is a fair criticism and the Minister would acknowledge it in another forum. The key point is that many people in the fishing industry say it is time that we had a Minister dedicated to the marine, fisheries and natural resources. They feel the absence of such a figure.

We have.

That is what they are saying.

A question, please. The Deputy is one minute over time.

They have not received any explanation or meaningful communication. These are the people who go out fishing day after day. They feel neglected.

Ridiculous.

They believe they have not been consulted on this deal. That is what they are saying.

We have not had one in 15 years.

With respect, this Government reintroduced a Minister with responsibility for the marine to the Cabinet table. For 13 years, Deputy Martin's Government did not have such a Minister. As we now have a senior Minister in this area, this Government ensured a bigger quota last year than was the case for a decade. The quota for this year will again be bigger. The marine sector has been more active in the past two years than in the preceding two decades.

That is absolute rubbish.

It is absolutely true. The Deputy may not be aware of it.

The Minister is not talking to the fishermen.

I will not ask the Deputy again. Please stay quiet.

We now have an integrated maritime plan for Ireland. We have just concluded an Atlantic strategy under the Irish Presidency, which is a first. We now have a partnership with the United States and Canada. We have a Commissioner who has done a phenomenal job in generating interest in the potential for marine resources as an economic stimulus in the European Union and Ireland in particular. It is totally untrue to say that because I have been busy since January in my dual responsibilities of agriculture and fisheries and the marine, we have not delivered for either fishermen or the marine. Quite the opposite has been the case. I suggest that Deputy Martin should speak to more fishermen, many of whom are concerned about the radical nature of this reform but all of whom accept that it is not before time that we are doing something significant about ending discards in terms of EU policy. I recognise that we will face challenges in implementing the policy, but we will deal with it over the next five to ten years and as a result of it we will be able to catch more fish and have a stronger and growing industry.

That is not what they are saying.

That is what they are saying to me.

The Minister should meet them.