A recent EU fisheries deal which industry insiders warn will slash Irish quotas by 57,000 tonnes in 2026 represents a “direct affront to Irish sovereignty,” the Dáil has heard.
The debate heard that four EU States – the Netherlands, France, Germany and Poland – had united to “outrageously attack” Ireland’s fishing and coastal communities when they know what happened after Brexit. The four countries have been accused of forming a blocking minority to prevent the Hague preferences being put to a vote.
Under the preferences as part of a deal dating back to November 1976, Ireland was permitted a guarantee to access its waters in return for guaranteed minimum fishing opportunities if stocks declined in order to counter the impact of access to Irish waters provided to vessels of other EU nations.
A group of Member States chose to block the invocation of The Hagues this year. Having invoked the Hague Preferences for 2026, Minister Dooley said he was extremely disappointed at the actions of a group of EU Member countries who chose to block the protection mechanism for Irish fishermen. The issue was raised this week in the European Parliament:
The four States were accused of “ganging up” on Ireland, with the impact of the actions described as “catastrophic.”
On Tuesday, the Joint Oireachtas Committee five Dutch fishing companies, described as ‘The Big 5’ , were accused of having more power over European fishing than Member States of the EU. The meeting heard of widespread condemnation of the European Union in coastal communities around the coast.
“I want to talk about the big five,” Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said.
“The big five are referred to as an extremely powerful oligopoly. These are corporations that co-operate and work together, and that have a collective value of €2.4 billion. It is estimated that by buying up quota across the European Union they have one in six of the fish caught under their control. They are huge. I will name them. They are Parlevliet and van der Plas, Cornelis Vrolijk, Van der Zwan, Alda Seafood and the De Boer family. “
Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Timmy Dooley, was present on Wednesday along with the Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Maritime and Fisheries Affairs, Sinn Fein TD Conor D. McGuinness.
Deputy McGuinness said that the outcome of the common fisheries policy negotiations represented “one of the most severe shocks, if not the most severe shock, the Irish fishing industry has faced in its existence.”
“It was not a sudden collapse, it was the final shove in a long process of decline that Government parties managed, excused and normalised. What was already fragile has now been pushed dangerously close to a point of no return. That is the responsibility of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and successive administrations,” said McGuinness.
“Are we a colony or a sovereign country?” Deputy McGuinness asked.
He pointed to “stark” scientific advice, with proposed reductions around 70 per cent for mackerel, deep cuts to blue whiting and significant reductions across other North Atlantic species and prawns in the Irish Sea.
“Sinn Féin accepts science must guide fisheries management, there is no dispute over that, but stock sustainability matters. Justice and fairness also matter and science does not answer the political questions at the heart of this particular crisis. Who is breaking the rules, who is overfishing shared stocks and why is it always Irish fishermen and Ireland’s coastal communities who are expected to pay the price?”
He said it had been agreed at a committee meeting on Tuesday with the Minister of State that Irish waters are unable to sustain the level of fishing and overfishing being undertaken for years by the EU fishing fleet.
“This Government has allowed Irish sovereign natural resources to be effectively gifted, not even by us in Ireland and Irish people but by foreign Governments, that are there for our generation and future generations to private corporations.
“It is not partnership and the economy, it is an abdication of responsibility and is an affront to our sovereignty as a nation,” Mr McGuinness added.
The House heard that the scale of the damage is “already clear,” with a projected loss of 57,000 tonnes of quota in 2026 and an economic hit of up to €200 million per year.
“There are various ways to quantify the monetary value of this but there are estimates that put this at a fifth of a billion. More than 2,300 jobs are on the line as we face into Christmas and that is not lost on anyone in any coastal community in Ireland. There are families now wondering – skippers and boat owners – how they are going to meet the December repayments on their boats.”
“Ireland has been treated as a soft touch in this and effectively, this Government – Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Lowry Independents – have allowed it to happen,” he added. “
“States that describe themselves as partners and say all the nice things to us about solidarity and the European Union, that we are partners and member states and need to relook at our neutrality and step together at European level, voted against us. They gutted us and the Minister of State at these negotiations.”
“Our fishing communities have observed decades of loss. They have been patient and have played by the rules. Their anger, despair and disappointment is justified. The injury is real, the insult is undeniable and what happens next will tell us whether this Government is prepared to stand up for this country or whether it is content to let another vital sector slide towards a fatal end.”