John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions. The first relates to something that the committee has been addressing in the report that we are finalising, namely, the State fishery ports. We have been back and forth with the Department on this issue. We understand that it and the problems in the system were inherited by the Department. I do not know who in the Department volunteered for this or who ordered the Department to take it, but that is irrelevant now.

From what I know of Dunmore East in Waterford, the Department has made genuine efforts to improve the situation in terms of the buildings there. The local opinion is that matters have improved a great deal, although there are complex issues surrounding arrears. At the outset of the process, there was a suggestion on the future utilisation of the buildings post report and post dealing with the arrears. The suggestion had to do with expertise within government and which agencies might bring some value to the buildings' utilisation, given the fact that the buildings are vital in the processing of shellfish and other seafood for export. Thought was given to Enterprise Ireland, given its long history of supporting the food industry and the expertise that it has at the top. Consider the background of its head, Ms Julie Sinnamon. Mr. O'Driscoll knows her well and I have worked with her previously. I told the Chairman that I was going to meet the head of Enterprise Ireland, which I did last week. Her reaction to the suggestion of Enterprise Ireland having an involvement in this matter was favourable. She understood that there might be some utility in Enterprise Ireland considering the suggestion alongside Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, and the Department. I spoke to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, afterwards and he agreed. Some Ministers around here work on the basis that, if something is not their idea, it is not a good one. Luckily, the Minister, Deputy Coveney, is open to suggestions as to what might be the best way forward for these buildings.

In Dunmore East, we do not have an acute problem with vacant buildings compared with other ports, which might be in worse situations, but it is still an issue. There is agreement around this table about the direction that we are trying to move this matter, which I hope will be positive. Considering that the Minister and the head of Enterprise Ireland have agreed to engage, what is the obvious next step?