I will not over-indulge on time. While the joint committee on agriculture was sitting in private session, I raised an issue that I now wish to put on the public record. In the past two weeks, a fisherman landed monkfish on the docks and gave it away for free. That person now faces prosecution. Will the Leader ask the Minister to make a statement on the matter of discards? The EU's policy on discards is immoral.

I welcome the farmers from Kilkenny and all of the IFA members who are outside Leinster House. The Minister will negotiate CAP, a part of which is the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP. Will he ensure that the issue of discards is addressed? Fishing is subject to quotas, but so is milk. If I overproduce milk, it still goes into the food chain and I am not asked to dump 100 litres every day. If I have a wheat quota of three tonnes per acre and I produce four tonnes, what would I do with the extra tonne? That fish are being thrown back is immoral. We have the best fed seagulls in the world.

Did the Government not promise to reverse the criminal sanctions?

I am not asking about those. I am asking the EU to reconsider the matter. There are other options for the fish. This summer's weather was the worst for agriculture and the feedstuff produced is of poor quality. We will need to supplement that feed with more proteins, the cost of which, particularly soya, has doubled in the past three years.

We cannot bring excess fish into the food chain because of quotas and the market would be distorted. What would be wrong with setting up a processing plant either in the EU or here in Ireland to deal with discarded fish by putting it into animal feed? One of the best sources of protein is fishmeal so why should we not look at that as a way of using discards? It is totally immoral for fish to be dumped at sea, where it will only feed seagulls. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to make a statement on the matter.

I support my colleague, Senator O'Neill, as he and I serve on the joint committee. At the meeting earlier today, Senator O'Neill raised this issue, which was unanimously agreed on by all members present from all parties and none. We discussed exactly what Senator O'Neill has outlined regarding the attitude towards discards. The issue has arisen in this House in the past few years. The Commissioner responsible for fisheries is already on record as saying she is against discards but there has been no further clarification or extension of those remarks on how she will deal with the issue. Running in parallel with the Common Agricultural Policy is a review of the Common Fisheries Policy, which is sometimes forgotten about. I share Senator O'Neill's concern, which mirrors the sentiment of the House and the general public, as a result of what we saw on our television screens last week. Monkfish is very expensive but it was handed out for free, and the individual responsible for that action will be subject to legal sanctions. Some comment should be made but there has been a deafening silence on the matter. I have heard no official reaction or response to what happened on Kilmore Quay last week other than what was in the media. If the boat owner in question had delayed his landing and left the boat on the quay, ferrying people to the boat to collect the fish, I wonder if that would have constituted landing the fish, as he would have been at sea. The chances are that it would have been a technicality and he would not have landed the fish. That shows the absurdity of this policy. I share the concerns raised in the elegant contribution from Senator O'Neill. I hope this will not be the end of the matter and the Leader will take cognisance of this, with at least some indication that there will be a response to comments.

The Minister, Deputy Coveney, is dealing with this very issue.

I have already shown the Senator a yellow card. Senator Gilroy is last but not least.

I am grateful for the reminder.