Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a chur in iúl don choiste mara ó na hoileáin i nDún na nGall atá anseo. Gabhaim buíochas leis an tUasal Aston fosta. Tuigim nach bhfuil a chuid Gaeilge chomh maith is a bhí sé. B'fhéidir go mbeidh sé in ann cuid den mhéid atá le rá agam a thuigbheáil. Ní raibh a fhios agam gur tógadh é i nGaeltacht Dhún na nGall. Áit álainn atá ann. Tá mé cinnte gur bhain sé sult as. Ba mhaith liom a rá i dtús báire go bhfuil an cruinniú seo tábhachtach. Tá an obair atá ar bun ag an bhfochoiste tábhachtach chomh maith. Tá na moltaí a rinne an choiste ó Árainn Mhór, nó an choiste oileánda a tháinig le cheile go deonach i nDún na nGall, fíorthábhachtach. Tá sé tábhachtach go bhfuil inchur acu sa chóras agus sa phróiseas.

I welcome the representatives. The witnesses are here to learn about the current situation with regard to the report and perhaps to look at alterations to the length of vessels, for example. It is crystal clear that unless an island population has an income stream the population will tend to leave the island because it is impossible to live on fresh air. This has been the pattern in small islands all over the world. Social welfare payments are available but islanders by their tradition and by their nature do not depend on social welfare payments; they want to be grafting and working.

In 2006 the ban on salmon fishing removed a traditional source of income for Arranmore island and other islands down the west coast from Tory to Oileán Chléire. According to Comhar na nOileán figures, in the case of Arranmore island an income stream of between €800,000 and €1 million per annum was wiped away overnight. The option of a soft landing by way of grant aid was available but it was never really an option for the serious fishermen because they had an obligation to their island, to their community and to their families, to continue developing the way of life and to continue to explore options and possibilities for re-opening salmon fishing.

I commend the Donegal islands survival plan and the work of the organisation over the past ten years. They have been swimming against the tide very often and it was difficult but they persevered. Oireachtas Members have an obligation to support the organisation in finding a mechanism, in conjunction with the European Commission.

This report remains to be debated in the Dáil and in the Seanad. There is a need for action and commitments from the Ministers responsible. I agree with Mr. Aston's point which is on the mark. Unfortunately, many of the issues pertaining to the fishing industry and the marine way of life fall between two Departments. I experience this every week that representations to one Department are directed to the other Department; one Department will say it is the responsibility of the other Department. We have recommended the need for a Minister at Cabinet level to have ultimate responsibility for marine tourism and all of the associated links. It will not happen until there is a change of government but it is essential.

It has been recommended that the issuing of heritage licences could be used as a means of re-opening drift net fishing on a controlled basis. These licences would only be available to people who could prove that they and their families had been fishing salmon down through the generations. The angling fraternity makes the point that open drift net fishing will have a negative impact on the rivers and maybe there is some truth in that. However, seals are causing the destruction of our salmon stocks in every bay throughout the country and pollution in the rivers is doing the same.

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Deputy Jimmy Deenihan, has outlined that the habitats directive does not permit seal culling but it is carried out in other countries such as in Canada when salmon stocks are being endangered. We need to persuade the European Commission to exercise some flexibility in this regard. Mr. John O'Brien may have a view on whether it may also be necessary to work with the angling community in order to address some of its concerns. Does the issue of a polyvalent licence for fishing for bait an issue need to be addressed?

Mr. John O'Brien hit the nail on the head with regard to the issue of crab and lobster fishing. Mr. Jerry Early outlined the price of €10.50 a kilo for the best of lobster. This is crazy in my view. Lobster and crab are being over-fished. There is no alternative resource available to the fishermen and the Government policy is actually detrimental to the future stock of crab and lobster. Unless something is changed by way of a heritage licence then that situation will continue.

I agree with Mr. John O'Brien on the mackerel quota. Unfortunately Ireland's mackerel quota is distributed at the discretion of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Very often it goes to the golden 22 and the smaller vessels along the coast do not get their fair share. There should be a percentage of the mackerel licence - at least 20% or 15% - held for smaller vessels. I refer to the 2,162 vessels registered with the Department, 75% of which are under 10 m and almost 90% are under 15 m, yet they are given virtually nothing of a mackerel fishing opportunity. This is not right. While the KFO is to be applauded for doing a great job in lobbying for the larger vessels, the mackerel catch is not all landed in Ireland. We are not gaining out of every tonne that is caught by those vessels whereas the smaller Irish vessels would all land their catches in Ireland and there would be more of a benefit. This issue needs to be discussed with the Minister.

I refer to the Common Fisheries Policy proposal to provide a grant to fishermen as is the case with the CAP where farmers who are aged under 40 are entitled to a 25% increase in the single farm payment. However, it seems ludicrous that the CFP is restricting it to vessels at least three years old whereas young farmers under 40 are not placed under the same restrictions. That is an argument that could be raised. If fishermen can buy new fishing boats then these will be safer, better and more modern and fishermen will be able to fish better.

We should not allow a situation where in 15 or 20 years' some of us might be here discussing the future viability of island communities and saying we should have opened the salmon fishing on a pilot basis 15 years previously. We should not allow ourselves to get to that situation. We need to follow up on the recommendations. I suggest we invite the relevant Ministers to come before the committee to go through each of the recommendations individually.

The issue of marine tourism has been raised. Marine tourism is vital but it has to be holistic and inclusive of everyone. In my own county, Fáilte Ireland, the tourism operators and Donegal County Council promoted angling tourism but this promotion excluded the island communities and what they can offer. Any marine product has to include everyone so that everyone gets a slice of the cake. This must include our islands which are a key national resource. I agree with much of what Mr. Aston said about promoting marine and coastal tourism because it has huge potential. According to the report, every local authority in the country needs to carry out an audit of the facilities available for leisure craft or commercial fishing craft so that a new Minister for the marine will be able to provide the funding needed to implement a plan.

Plans for the development of marine tourism down through the years have focused on isolated parts of the country and not on all of the areas around the coast. That is why it is important to have a bottom-up approach and why the cumann na tuaithe model through Comhdháil Oileáin na hÉireann or Comhar na nOileán would be hugely important in identifying what is required and in trying to promote tourism and to keep a way of life alive as well.

There would be no point in tourists visiting Arranmore or Tory Island if there were no locals living on the islands, as is the case with Inishbofin in County Donegal. We need to strike a balance because tourists who visit islands would like to see that the traditional way of life is alive and well and people are surviving on the islands. I believe we can achieve such a balance, especially in terms of providing people with an income. The State has an obligation to revisit this issue and the sub-committee will certainly pursue it to our best ability.