On 26 September, we had a very useful debate in the House in relation to Irish sea fisheries. We all went out that day feeling fairly chipper about the Common Fisheries Policy negotiations that were coming up. Even though the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, went out with a lot of people standing at his back in great support, effectively what they got in the Common Fisheries Policy negotiations at the end of last week was a slap in the face. The seafood industry has been treated very poorly. The failure it delivered to us last week represents the lack of survival of many Irish vessels and seafood businesses.

The EU has repeatedly failed the Irish fishing industry. The latest failure last week means devastation and effectively sees the Common Fisheries Policy as a policy that has failed. It is symptomatic of a fundamentally unfair system where large member states and big business can essentially dictate what is happening in the Irish fishing industry. The Seafood Ireland Alliance said that over 2,300 jobs in coastal communities could face immediate danger in the next year with a wider impact which could mean a €200 million loss next year. The so-called Hague preferences created in 1976 to protected highly dependent fishing nations like Ireland have been blocked by member states for the first time in 50 years. Aodh O'Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation asked last week, "If this protection cannot be honoured why should Ireland continue to offer generous access to our rich fishing waters?" The action of member states will see many of our vessels limited to less than 20 fishing days a year, with tiny quotas. We are being punished unfairly for the reckless behaviour of others. Non-EU states ignored the science and inflated their catches. They created the crisis. Ireland fishes responsibly yet we are now carrying the can. The fish exporters are worried too. They cannot survive without a supply. Less quota means less fish and less work. Many plants may not survive without adequate raw material.

A long-standing agreement based on Ireland's access to the exclusive economic zone appears to have been broken in the latest denouement. It is a deeply troubling turn of events for the Irish fishing industry, a very sad day for Ireland and a disaster for the dysfunctional fisheries council process. The alliance says the EU and Government must support the fishing fleet. It beggars belief that next year in 2026, the Irish fleet will be able to fish for 26 tonnes of sole whereas the Belgian fleet can fish for 20 times that, 450 tonnes. That is not justifiable. We need to ask our Minister to come back to the House to report to us on what went wrong, where was the rug pulled from under our feet in the negotiations last week and to follow up on the Minister for agriculture's promise to the Dáil that the report from the community would be put before all member states on the fallout from Brexit.