Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on behalf of our fishing industry.

It is ironic to think that it was the English who taught us the value of our fishing around our coast back in the 1600s. In the early 1970s, a fisherman with an average size fishing boat was deemed to be as well off as a person who owned a farm and it is ironic to think that we have lost most of that. We all can picture in our minds the fishing fleet that came up the River Liffey and the display they gave across the way from the convention centre, and the organised way they made their request clear to us and to the Minister who was present on that day. It is sad to think that nothing has improved except decommissioning. The Government has failed the Irish fishing industry. In fact, previous Governments have completely and utterly failed the fishing communities in coastal communities.

Behind every boat and vessel was a shop, butcher shop, local restaurant or whatever which all depended on those vessels and their catches. The spin-off is so important and vital as well as the income for fishermen. The current situation adversely affects coastal communities on the periphery of the Atlantic Ocean. We have so many miles and grand places but I will only talk about places in County Kerry. There are places such as Dingle, Portmagee, Sneem, the Oysterbed Pier, Blackwater, Kilmackillogue, Glounaguillagh, Tuosist and all the way back to Castletownbere. A lot of fishermen in Kerry use the facilities at Castletownbere.

I liken decomissioning to the eco schemes being offered to farmers to get them out of farming. I hate the word "decommissioning" because I know that once someone decommissions and gets out of an industry then that livelihood is lost and many more livelihoods are lost within the community.

I have listened to what the Minister said about the tie-up policy. He repeatedly said in his presentation that there is a fund in Europe that has not been touched yet. I ask the Minister and the Government to go after that fund. I do not know what they are waiting for because there is a risk that boats and fishing fleets will go out of business with the cost of fuel and everything and, therefore, we need to use that fund now.

I welcome the 81% increase in the TAC for blue whiting but it will only benefit 23 vessels out of the total fleet around the country. I ask the Minister to revise the policy so others may benefit from this allowance and mackerel fishery as well in order to get a fair share of this national fishery.

I have heard complaints that mackerel is very scarce from Kenmare, out the Kenmare river and out to the mouth of Kenmare Bay. Who knows anything about that and why is that the case? I have also got complaints of massive trawlers coming in at different times and sweeping up everything. No-one knows who they are but they have cleaned out every type of fish. I have heard that complaint on the side of the county which I represent. Who knows about that and is the Minister aware of the situation? I ask because the issue is very serious. In the past there were people who fished along the bay but caught so much mackerel, even though they caught them a good few miles away, they gave them to the people inside in the bar or on the street. Those fishermen are not be to found at all this year whatever has happened. I have been asked several times to find out what is the reason for the changed situation.

It is late at night but I am very interested in discussing Brexit. I do know that we did not do well out of the Brexit talks and it seems that the French gained. I do not know whether we had adequate personnel at negotiations to fight the case for us. I have been told by fishermen that in their hearts they believe that we lost the battle because we did not put up a reasonable and fair fight which is a shame. These fishermen and our fishing industry have always been an integral part of coastal communities. The farmer or the farmer's son or family went fishing in order to keep food on the table and we will lose many of these people with the way the thing is going. Can the Minister do anything more than what has been done?

Long ago my father had a Ferguson tractor that he used to bring a load of rushes of all things into the village of Kilgarvan. On one occasion a farmer wanted him to drive in between two houses but a load of rushes fell against the gable of the house and the man who had ordered him to come with the load of stuff asked him could he do any better. To which my father replied, "Sure I am doing my best" and the farmer said that his best was not good enough. I say to the Minister that his best so far has not been good enough. Therefore, I ask him to do better and not allow the entire fishing fleet to disintegrate.