John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

The Comptroller and Auditor General has done an exemplary job in preparing his most recent report. Among the many areas he identified in the report as being in serious need of overhaul are fishery harbours and foreshore licensing agreements. There are five designated fishery harbours in the State, namely, Killybegs, Castletownbere, Rossaveel, Howth and Dunmore East. It is the responsibility of the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to manage, control, operate and develop each fishery harbour centre. The Minister is also required by order of the Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968 to keep an account of all moneys received or expended in connection with each harbour.

This year's report by the Comptroller and Auditor General raised the issue of the lack of accounts for the five centres for the years 2000 to 2003. It is a shocking indictment of the Minister that our five main harbours cannot keep proper accounts. Yet again the Government's mismanagement of public funds has been brought to the fore. External accountants had to be engaged in January this year to bring the accounts up to date. The ease with which this Government will spend our money is appalling. Why is an efficient, competent system not in place to ensure taxpayers' money is not spent on outsourced accountants?

The issue of debtors also shows how badly the harbours are managed and the level of priority this island nation accords its main fishery ports. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report for 1999 expressed concern about the amount of debts owed to the five harbours. External services were engaged in 2001 to assist with the collection of accumulated arrears. It is now claimed that a number of initiatives have been taken to enhance debt recovery at the harbours. While the Government has claimed that real progress has been achieved in increasing debt recovery levels, we need to examine the figures to find out the real picture.

In Rossaveel, County Galway, the percentage of debt recovered compared with the total amount which should be collected has dramatically declined. In 1998, 80% of debt owed to the State was recovered, whereas the figure had sunk to a shockingly low 21% in 2004. This constitutes an astonishing drop of nearly 60% in the levels of debt recovered. Last year in Dunmore East only 32% of money owed was collected. In Howth, recovered debt levels declined from 70% in 1998 to 55% in 2004, a 15% drop during six years when the Government was supposedly more efficient in debt collection.

As an island nation we must value our ports and harbours. The inefficiency of this Government indicates it has nothing but contempt for this valuable resource. In Rossaveel harbour charges are being resisted and legal action may be necessary to recover some of the money owed. No harbour master is in place in Dunmore East. To maximise the full potential of our five main fishery harbours we need to treat these areas and their problems as a top priority. Unfortunately, under this Government the harbours have been relegated to a low level. The Government's response to the serious concerns of our fishing fleet accounts for little more than lip-service.

The Government lists a range of reasons our harbours have accumulated so many bad debts. The list consists of a series of basic problems facing our fishing fleet. I have been a strong advocate of adopting a sustainable policy for our fishing fleet to help combat these problems. Hiding behind the many difficulties fishermen are facing is no way for a Government to behave. Due to the many challenges the industry is facing, fishermen and their families will obviously not be able to deal with massive and surprising hikes in rents and charges but rents and charges at the harbours were increased in 2003 for the first time in 13 years. Considering the last price increase was in 1990, revenues had obviously not been keeping apace with costs and that is no way to run a successful harbour.

There was obviously strong resistance from the fishing industry when these costs were introduced, especially given that their introduction coincided with new charges. How did the Government expect people to react? This is an industry on which many jobs depend, and on which we, as an island nation, depend enormously. The people behind the industry need to be treated with a great deal more respect than this Government gives them. It is an indictment of the Government that the fishery harbours, which are owned and managed by the State, are totally mismanaged. There has been little or no investment, except at Killybegs which has practically closed down.

There has been not only horrendous inefficiency in the treatment of accounts but also a great deal of incompetence when dealing with roles, responsibilities and work practices at the harbours. While a substantial programme of change and modernisation was supposed to have taken place in this regard, the position at Killybegs, Howth and Dunmore East tells another story. All of these harbours are in disarray due to mismanagement at a ministerial level.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has told us that there have been considerable difficulties in the filling of harbour master vacancies. That such high level jobs would be unwanted is evidence of the incompetence of the Government's handling of our nation's harbours. At present, harbour debts are calculated locally at three fishery harbour centres but because the harbours at Howth and Dunmore East are without harbour masters, the dues at these are left unattended. The level of collection of foreshore licensing fees is equally as bad but, unfortunately, I do not have time to go into that matter.

The Comptroller and Auditor General's report is a clear document, independently assessed. It is an indictment of the Government's failure, yet again, to manage State assets.

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