Ms Dawn Livingstone:

I did not comment on Brexit. If I had to ask for one thing it is to minimise every impact. For tourism, particularly in the Border counties, any impediment that makes it less attractive will have a real impact. In the case of the difference in the VAT rate, the hire cruise sector is commercial activity and is mobile and we have seen cruiser operators on the Erne acquire bases in the South and operate cross-jurisdictionally but take advantage of the better VAT rate in the South. If we are faced with a situation in which recreational boat owners have to pass through any form of impediment to free movement it will affect the Border sweep of navigation. They just will not bother. I cannot overemphasise how important it is for that to remain seamless if it is to continue to flourish.

On the other issues raised, yes there is a charging model. Across Europe, America and Canada there is a charging regime, particularly for boats. Boats cannot operate without somebody providing a navigation, maintaining all the marks, dredging in the depths and providing the water monitoring and harbours. Charging is normal. The challenge for us is to introduce it in an inclusive way. It has to be part of the funding model because there are pressures on public money, which is not infinite.

Regarding invasive species, we are aware of new aquatic invasive species that are arriving. We are well aware of Lough Corrib where an entire system was lost and of the amount of money it took to clean that up. We see pressure points. The fact that legislation has moved forward and there are fewer ways to deal with invasive weeds, and they grow everywhere at once, create a real challenge for keeping navigations, particularly the canals, open and to a standard that is attractive for boating. That requires additional investment.

I do not know enough about pike. We try to support, encourage and work with the Loughs Agency and Inland Fisheries Ireland to ensure that fishing flourishes and is an important part of the tourism mix, particularly in the shoulder seasons. We have four weeks of international fishing competition in the cross-Border area and it is contributing €750,000 per year. That has gone from being based primarily on coarse fish by weight to pike fishing. People are looking for the pike specimen and something over 1 m in length. People who are high spenders are coming from all over the world to do that. We are in an evolving situation. This might not be the environmental approach but, for me, it is about making sure we can sell whatever we have to offer internationally and that we are doing it well. There is a need for better co-ordination. If somebody lowers the lake level, which is not in my bailiwick in some areas, all the pike spawn will be left high and dry and there will be no small pike that year. It is about all of us working together better.