Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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I appreciate that. I want to discuss the shellfish sector. We had a bottom-growing mussel industry worth about €40 million 20 years ago. This will be its second year in a row of zero. I want to get a sense of the plan the Department has to rejuvenate the industry. One of the big concerns is that even though the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Act was brought in following the Supreme Court case in 2017, it is clear one must be based in the North of Ireland to avail of its benefits. A person cannot merely have an address there, his or her business operation must be based there. Everyone agrees with that of course, we want there to be access to fisheries across the island of Ireland. However, the difficulty is that there are people who are abusing that circumstance. This is an Irish natural resource. I would like to have a sense of how the Department plans to deal with this issue, to rejuvenate our mussel beds and to get the seed they need. Will it work with those who are concerned? I know that Ms McSherry has had correspondence from at least one, if not two concerned parties and I can send that correspondence on.

I have been contacted by a company based in the south east. It is in serious financial difficulties. This is a company that historically was very successful in the oyster sector but it is now in serious difficulties. I will correspond after the meeting. I will not name it but it is based in the south east of Ireland and it has been corresponding with EU Commissioners, the Minister and the Department.

I seek an intervention so its case can at least be looked at to see what can be done to help it.

On the wider issues, there is a request from the IFA's aquaculture section for an allocation of €5 million to the rope mussel sector in the south west. That would cover Roaringwater Bay, Dunmanus Bay, Bantry Bay and Kenmare Bay with €2.5 million to be allocated on per licensed hectare pro rata basis before Christmas and €2.5 million on the basis of verification of decreased turnover using Intrastat and VIES returns. Looking across the shellfish sector, bottom mussel growing has been absolutely devastated. The whole fishery has been completely mismanaged. There needs to be urgent engagement with BIM on how we can turn that around and I ask that it happen. I ask that the officials assist the company from the south east in the oyster sector that had a thriving business and is now struggling. It is heartbreaking. I also ask the officials to note the issues raised by the IFA's aquaculture section. They are the urgent issues. The aquaculture section has made a submission on a range of issues in the industry.

The potential for the shellfish sector for Ireland is absolutely huge. The Faroese, whose population is only a tiny percentage of ours, have an industry in excess of ours. Scotland, which has the same population as the Republic of Ireland, has an industry multiples larger than ours and Norway's industry is on a completely different planet. We have never developed the potential of shellfish. We need to intervene, assist the sector and get the full potential for jobs and wealth in our coastal communities.

Then there is the inshore issue and the north west herring fishery. The inshore fisherman have asked why they are having to book in. It is an open fishery. They are not aware of any change to the regulations, but they are being asked to book in this year. As the officials know, there is a real concern when it comes to mackerel and herring. I argue, as Deputy Ring has done, that the share the inshore fishermen get should be much more than what it is. That needs to be worked out. The conditions are there. We need to sit around a table and work out what is fair to everybody. Why are they having to book in and why is the north west herring fishery no longer an open fishery?