Timmy Dooley

That disappoints me greatly as you have been a mentor of mine for many years here and I depend on your guidance in many other fora as well. I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 112 and 119. The programme for Government commits to ramping up the achievement of retrofit targets through continued delivery of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's residential and community energy upgrade sch…

Both Deputies show regular interest in this and have spoken on it in the past. The point about not leaving anybody behind is really important and it has been the focus. Deputy Cronin and I, and her party, are aligned on lots of issues. I sat with Deputy Stanley, a former member of her party, on that committee for years and certainly Sinn Féin was very committed to the transition, but we disagreed …

I thank the Deputy-----

I am eager.

I am very anxious. I am nervous.

Deputy Cronin highlighted the significant cost of energy and the impact it is having on households. We have certainly seen that. The Government has taken action, as the Deputy will be aware, by increasing the fuel allowance from the beginning of the year. We reduced the VAT, which is a help in addressing the burden, but we have to get to the core cost. I answered a question earlier about the effo…

I appreciate the opportunity to address the House on what is an important matter. I thank the Deputies for seeking the opportunity for statements on fishing opportunities in 2026. I welcome the timely opportunity to discuss the concerns affecting the fisheries and seafood sector. I welcome the contributions of so many at the Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and look forward t…

I appreciate the Deputy's understanding of the situation in relation to the Minister of State, Deputy Troy. My understanding is that the Commission is aware that the Government intends to move ahead with the dissolution of NAMA in 2026 and that there has been a discussion in that regard. I will ask the officials to prepare a more comprehensive response that addresses Deputy Doherty's question. I t…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. He has been in touch with me on a number of occasions to discuss the matter as it relates to operators in his constituency and further afield. I had an opportunity during the summer to visit Quinlan's Kerry Fish with the Deputy and see at first hand the implications of the issue. As somebody new to the Department, I recognised from the first th…

I thank the Deputy. He has raised a really important issue, which is that fishing is really about protecting and preserving our coastal communities through gainful employment by way of the natural resources available to those communities. The reality is that the scientific advice clearly indicates that wild stocks are being depleted for a multiplicity of reasons. These include overfishing by third…

I will try not to use my full time because I am conscious that a number of Members want to contribute, and I will facilitate that. I thank the Deputies for seeking the opportunity for statements on fishing. It is timely considering the recent developments in the discussions and negotiations for fishing opportunities for 2026 but also as a chance to discuss other important issues and concerns affec…

I thank Deputy Gallagher for raising this important issue. I also thank him for his guidance through this. As somebody with vast experience of the sector and an intimate knowledge at European level, he has been a source of good and wise counsel to me over recent months on this issue. He has identified the scientific advice now providing the backdrop to this and which will guide the total allowable…

I thank Deputy Gallagher for his continued support. I have made it very clear to officials who negotiate on our behalf in advance of Council meetings that it cannot be business as usual. Today I instructed officials to vote against any access to blue whiting in European waters for Norway. I intend to maintain this position throughout. I accept we do not have a veto and that a blocking minority wil…

I know the Deputy has a significant interest in this area. He has been in regular contact with me about the matter. As he will know, on 30 September, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea published its advice for widely distributed pelagic stocks for 2026. The ICES advice forms the basis of the scientific advice used by the European Commission in proposing total allowable catche…

The Deputy is right. Over the past five years, 1 million tonnes more than advised was caught. If you go back over ten years, I believe it would be 2 million. It has been consistent. The Union has accepted it and, as a result, we are seeing destruction prevail. The word "Armageddon" has been used and it is hard not to accept that when you consider the impact on Ireland, particularly with regard to …

As the Deputy will know, a review of the Common Fisheries Policy has been initiated. That may lead to changes in time. The issue of Norway's unilateral grab of quota certainly has to be prosecuted outside of DG MARE and the discussions around fish quotas. It is often raised with me by those within the sector that, where mackerel is used as a feedstock for the production of fishmeal, it finds its w…

I thank Deputy Gallagher for his interest in this matter. It is something he has been in regular contact with me about both in advance of the scientific advice being released and since then. I know, in particular, of his interest in the Killybegs area and the significant shock this will bring to the community of Killybegs, not just to those directly involved in the processing and catching sectors …

I full concur with the Deputy's analysis and vast experience. His name is regularly mentioned at the Council and in the European Parliament regarding the interest he has had not just for the Irish fishing sector but also for the sector at a wider European level. His insights were of particular importance. He is right in identifying that the fishing sector paid a particular price with the transfer …

I am conscious of the economic impact on our coastal communities. In successive programmes for Government, we set out a desire to continue to support coastal communities. The Deputy is right; it is through allowing fishers to catch and process fish that we support those communities. I will have to be guided by the scientific advice, as other Ministers have been previously. I know the sector does n…

I thank Deputy Connolly for raising this issue. I know of his great interest in the angling sector. He is passionate about this issue and it is very close to his heart. He has had a number of discussions with me about angling, generally. I must begin by putting on the record that operational matters such as this are the preserve of IFI. I have no direct capacity to force it to do anything other th…

I understand the anglers' perspective, but IFI is charged with the conservation of the Atlantic salmon stock. It is conscious of the protection and preservation of that species in all its forms. There is a concern that once the stock is above the conservation limit, it is not justified. At the time it was there before the conservation limit was under pressure, there was also an exercise in trying …

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. As Minister of State with responsibility for marine in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, I am pleased to announce that I have secured a significant budget of almost €158 million to support the fisheries sector for 2026. This funding will continue to provide support across capital infrastructure projects in our fishery …

That is a change of heart there.

I appreciate the Deputy's question. Ireland engages with the US across a broad range of multilateral energy forums, from the United Nations and the G20, where Ireland is a guest country under the current South African Presidency, to the IEA and IRENA. While respecting different policy emphases regarding, for example, energy mix and the role of renewables in particular, we also enjoy an excellent b…

The Government's intention on the installation of a facility like the floating LNG facility that is proposed is that it is being led by the State rather than a commercial entity. It is being done in a controlled manner that will, as I outlined in the earlier answer, allow us to protect a critical supply in the event of anything happening to the two interconnectors or indeed the subsea pipeline whi…