Ms Sin?ad McSherry:

No, I will go back to that. Any agreement between Iceland and the EU is the sole competence of the EU. Ireland cannot negotiate directly with Iceland on fisheries matters because of the Common Fisheries Policy. The EU negotiates with third countries in respect of fishing opportunities. The Minister's position is to represent and protect Ireland's interests. In any discussions or exploratory discussions, he has the mandate to represent Ireland and her interests. Naturally, he has engaged extensively with the affected stakeholders. That engagement included multiple meetings with industry about this. However, setting the agenda and making Ireland's position clear is a matter for the Minister.