Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The issue here is responsibility. I served on Cork County Council and was there at the time of the abolition of the town councils. Cork County Council took over from the local town councils and municipal district councils but I do not think the council realised that when it took over the running of Fermoy Town Council, it assumed responsibility for the weir. For a number of years there was a debate between the Department and the council to try to determine who was responsible for the weir. It was deemed to be a unique responsibility, separate from the provision of water, housing and other services.

I recently met a retired fisheries official who spoke about the ongoing haggling over the Fermoy weir. I told him that we were trying to reach an agreement on it and he said that money was allocated for it over the years but that it was a big problem getting all of the interested parties in Fermoy to agree. It is a pity that the owner of the weir, Cork County Council, is not represented here today. I am an Opposition Deputy but in fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy Kyne, he visited Fermoy at my request and that of other Members of this House. He met Mr. Lawton and Mr. Kavanagh and other groups. He urged people to put a package together and said that the Government would be in a position to make money available. There are mechanisms available through which money can be drawn down, either by way of river basin funding or other initiatives. Money can be drawn down. The issue we have here is that this is being thrown around in Dáil Éireann but until the local authority meets the Department officials, we are going nowhere. Many of those here today know the history of this and know what is required but until Cork County Council sits down with departmental officials, even if they are officials from the Department of An Taoiseach, and finalises a plan, nothing will happen.

Mr. Kavanagh said that he is totally against the extension of the fish pass to the right. Is that correct?