David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister to the House. The Bill is being presented as a largely technical item of legislation intended to transfer responsibility from the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.

We in Sinn Féin are aware of the obvious need for careful management of the seafront and the foreshore in numerous areas. I appreciate the need for licensing and leasing for the facilitation of marine energy, including tidal power and other forms of power. We appreciate in particular the need for careful conservation of the natural wildlife and delicate habitats which often exist on seafronts and for strong legislative provisions to provide for that and prevent undue malign interference with those delicate environments and pollution.

I note the crucial importance of facilitating our marine industries of aquaculture and farming and our fishing fleet. I welcome the fact that the Leader has arranged for a discussion on fishing which will take place in the coming weeks. The Minister might return to the House at that time to allow us discuss those important issues. In my own county of Waterford we have many fishing villages including Passage East, Dunmore, Ring and Helvick and I am aware of the impact the reduction in the fleet has had in those areas. I look forward to a full discussion with the Minister on these issues.

I will note some of the concerns I have about the Bill and perhaps the Minister will allay some of them. I note most items relating to fishing and aquaculture will remain with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food but I must register my concern at the potential for confusion and difficulties. What is the motivation for bringing forward the Bill in the first place? I am aware the Government believes it will lead to clarification and I appreciate that clarity is necessary, but there is also a clear value in the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government being aware of seafront and foreshore issues.

There will be a demarcation between the lines of responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Will these lines of responsibility be based on geography or activity? The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will have responsibility for some locations. Will the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government have responsibility for others? I would like clarity on what the lines of responsibility will be.

I am also concerned about the potential for buck-passing between the two Departments. Fishermen are concerned they could be sent from pillar to post and there may be confusion about which Department will deal with their concerns and which Department will have responsibility for their concerns. It is an issue I was asked to raise by fishermen. Will the Minister respond to this?

I apologise for the fact that I had to leave when the Minister made his speech. However, I have seen a copy of it. My primary concern is the motivation for the legislation. While the Government will argue for clarity there is a greater role for the Minister of the Environment, Community and Local Government to play in some of the issues I raised previously.

Some of the issues I raised are of particular interest to fishermen and I know some of them will be discussed in the fuller debate we will have. The Bill will divide responsibilities between the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and I want to be absolutely certain that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food will have responsibility for issues of concern to fishermen.