Questions

1434. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with an organisation (details supplied) and the inshore fishing sector to examine the introduction of a financial assistance scheme or basic income scheme similar to that available to farmers and artists, considering the financial challenges they face and their immense importance to the cultural heritage and t…

245. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Transport if he plans to ensure that the regulations for the number of skippers aboard a fishing vessel and the qualifications of the skippers are aligned to the designation by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine of all fishing vessels under 18 metres as “inshore”. [56602/25]

672. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 736 of 14 October 2025, if he will clarify the statement “As these operators have access to alternative sources of mussel, it is difficult at present to fully assess the degree to which the incomes of those who fish mussel seed have been affected” given mussel fishermen are reporting that th…

88. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will report on his plan to save the fishing and seafood industry from the impact of the proposed devastating cuts to the mackerel, blue whiting and boarfish quotas; and the financial aid that will be provided to the affected businesses and workers. [54988/25]

112. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on his negotiation with the UK Government to reinstate access for the Irish fishing fleet to their traditional fishing grounds at Rockall. [54995/25]

124. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on his negotiation with the European Commission to secure a bluefin tuna quota for the Irish fishing fleet. [54996/25]

736. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are any plans to devise a financial hardship scheme that can assist mussel fishermen who have been without an income since 2022, as no seed mussel settlements have been found large enough to fish in 2023, 2024 and in 2025 to date. [54954/25]

74. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the most recent discussions between the Government and the UK Government on reinstating access for Irish fishers to their traditional fishing grounds at Rockall; if he is considering taking the matter to international arbitration, given the illegality of this long-standing blockade; and if he will make a statemen…

80. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that only 52 persons have availed of fish assist across the State as of 31 May 2025; and if the Minister of State with responsibility for the marine and his Department officials will now engage with the representative POs for inshore and islands fishermen to discuss a financial support or subsidy scheme for the sec…

123. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will designate Greencastle harbour as a pelagic landing port for catches over ten tonnes. [32919/25]

482. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to consider introducing a subsidy scheme for inshore and islands fishermen, similar to those schemes available to farmers over many years. [28496/25]

483. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will ensure that the Quota Management Advisory Committee meets soon to agree on the allocation of mackerel and other species. [28497/25]

342. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the first and full year-cost of introducing a €0.20/litre fuel aid support scheme for the Irish fishing fleet for a three month, six month, and 12 month period. [27923/25]

343. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the first and full-year cost of introducing a continuity grant for the Irish inshore fishing fleet, vessels less than 18m, equivalent to 20% of turnover and based on turnover from 2021,2022,2023 and 2024. [27924/25]

272. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the current utilisation rate of fish by-products in the state, including progress towards achieving higher utilisation comparable to international best practices. [16345/25]

1. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on negotiations with the British Government to reinstate access for the Irish fishing fleet to its traditional fishing grounds at Rockall; and the estimated total financial loss to the Irish fishing industry since the blockade has been enforced by the UK authorities. [13670/25]

607. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that key stakeholders representing inshore and islands fishermen are no longer participating in the North West Herring Committee; if he will meet with those stakeholders (details supplied) to examine changes to the committee that will help all participants trust the process and reach a consensus on the allocation …

608. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been brough to the fact that key stakeholders representing inshore and island fishermen are no longer participating in the North West Herring Committee; if he will meet with stakeholders (details supplied) to examine changes to the committee. [13469/25]

609. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to secure an Irish quota for bluefin tuna; the increase in bluefin tuna quota allocated to the European Union under International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas over the past decade. [13470/25]

610. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the Brown Crab Working Group; the way the work of the group can lead to the sustainability of the species for coastal communities and identify new markets for Ireland's seafood industry. [13471/25]

611. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will urgently review the landing obligation requirements at piers and harbours around the coast, in cooperation with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, to ensure fishermen operating smaller vessels are not endangered. [13472/25]

628. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will engage with the representative organisations for fishermen to confirm their concerns that banks in the State are holding back on lending to fishermen, even when they have State-backed proposals; and if he will engage with the stakeholders such as his Department, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and an organisation (details supplie…

362. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware that in recent days, there are approximately 70 large third country pelagic trawlers, from Norway, Iceland, Faroes, Russia, and the UK, fishing for blue whiting both inside EU waters and just outside the Irish 200-mile EEZ in international waters; if he will outline the level of monitoring and inspections of these…

720. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new fisherman scheme will commence; and when financial assistance will start to be released under the scheme. [8083/25]