Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 4 November 2025
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs
Aquaculture Innovation and Development: Discussion
2:00 am
Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I meant to wish Ms Bocquel well in her new role. It is good that she is moving on and moving up.
I think we all agree we have to work on the licences delay rapidly. Fifteen to 20 years is far too long. Aquaculture gives great employment around the coastline, even around Donegal. There is a lot of employment there and, as Mr. O'Sullivan says, when it is there it works away quietly. Nobody opens their mouth about it. It works away and it is there and it is great.
Ms Bocquel talked earlier about targeted supports. The Cathaoirleach mentioned it too. I hear from aquaculture people that sea lice is a problem and that jellyfish are coming in. I do not know if that affects mussels too. When you set up a fish farm or a mussel farm, you have three or four years, you are growing your product and then this comes and attacks your product. Are there any targeted supports there for these people? At the end of the day, they are providing work for people and they are growing their product and this is out of their control. Is there a targeted support there to help these people financially if things go wrong?