Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I want to make one point. I live in a coastal community. I accept the Minister of State’s logic in saying that every member of the public has to have access to public consultation and that nobody should be disadvantaged in that regard. However, we should be clear that people engage in fishing and their representatives have played, and will need to play, an important role in their custodianship and guardianship of our marine biodiversity and marine environments. They are not just another group of people. These people have spent their lives on the seas, risking their lives. Some of them have lost their lives. They have a special knowledge and relationship. It would be entirely appropriate for them to be involved in public consultation in particular way and given particular status to recognise their involvement, livelihood and connection. Often, this connection goes back generations. It is in the families and in their DNA. We should be cognisant of that when discussing the fishing community, the important role it plays and the role it needs to play in protecting our marine environment.