Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann, notes

the value of the Irish seafood industry to the Irish economy, totalling over €750 million in revenues and contributing to the direct employment of over 12,000 people;

the financial difficulties currently facing those involved in the fishing industry;

the dramatic increase in the price of fuel; particularly the 40% increase in fuel costs since January 2008;

the failure of Government to secure EU funding for the industry to date;

the stagnation and decline of fish prices;

the failure to brand and market Irish fish;

the delay of Government to secure EU approval of the Operational Programme for Fisheries;

the structural difficulties facing the industry including lack of quota and over-capacity of the fleet;

the current arrangements for disposal of by-catch contribute nothing to conservation of fish stocks;

the slow progress in implementing the Cawley report; and

the EU Ministerial Council on Fisheries' decision to bring forward regulations to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing;

and calls on the Government to:

negotiate a package of financial assistance for temporary cessation of operations as a matter of urgency;

insist that the Irish fishing industry is not disadvantaged relative to its competitors within the EU as a result of the Commission decision to permit state aid in certain circumstances;

introduce regulations on illegal, unreported and unregulated, IUU, fishing without delay following final agreement at EU level;

pursue a uniform and balanced approach to enforcement of fisheries regulation throughout the EU;

immediately implement a country of origin labelling system for all fish products coupled with a consumer awareness campaign;

pursue the possibility of increasing cod quotas in the Celtic Sea;

take all necessary steps at an interdepartmental level to resolve the issues delaying the adoption of the Operational Programme for Fisheries; and

fully implement the Cawley report.

The decision at the most recent Council of Ministers to kick to touch on the issue of a financial rescue package for the Irish fishing industry is viewed with alarm by those employed in the industry. There was a clear understanding at the initial meeting between the Federation of Irish Fishermen and the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Minister of State that decisions would flow from the Council meeting on 23 and 24 June. That no immediate assistance has come from it is largely the reason we are debating this substantial motion.

The fishing industry has immediate and long-term structural difficulties. The latter will be irrelevant if the immediate difficulties which, simply put, concern direct financial aid to enable the industry to survive the current problems, are not dealt with. For that reason, I propose to dwell on the positives in respect of last week's Council meeting. Progress was made on the issue of illegal, unreported and unregulated, IUU, fishing, which is welcome from a conservation point of view. This should lead to better prices for fish legally landed. It is estimated that IUU fish in the EU market are worth €1 billion or account for approximately 12% of the market. This agreement is welcome and everybody involved is to be commended. What is not clear is the timeframe within which the benefits of this decision will flow. I suspect — the Minister confirmed this at Question Time this afternoon — that it will take at least two years for the benefits to flow. Welcome as the decision is — the Slovenian Presidency, the Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the Commissioner are entitled to take credit for this agreement — it will not put a single euro in the pockets of Irish fishermen in the short term. While I acknowledge the work done in this respect, it is not the solution to the current difficulties.

The €3.8 billion European Fisheries Fund 2007-13 provides for aid in respect of the temporary cessation of activities due to emergency measures. This is provided for under priority No. 1 of the European Fisheries Fund — adaptation of the Community fishing fleet. That this proposal has not yet been finalised is disappointing, given the urgency of the matter and the clear provision for such in the fund.

Another point that needs to be made forcefully relates to the appalling failure of the Government to secure for Ireland a fair share of the €3.8 billion allocated in the fund. A mere €42 million has been secured, which allied to the Government's failure to conclude its negotiations and secure approval for the Operational Programme for Fisheries speaks volumes of its commitment to the sector. Just over 1% of the European Fisheries Fund has been committed to Ireland, yet we have a substantially greater share of Community waters and fish stocks. While this was obviously negotiated under the watch of the Minister's predecessor, it is, nonetheless, a shameful outcome. The failure to secure approval for the Operational Programme for Fisheries is delaying further investment in the industry, especially in processing, marketing, added value and so on where additional employment could be generated. This is shameful neglect of a national industry.

Given the 40% increase in diesel prices since the start of the year, de facto many fishermen are engaged in a cessation of activities simply because they cannot afford to go to sea. A deal on direct financial assistance in such circumstances must be reached by 15 July, the date of the next meeting of the Council of Ministers, if fishermen are to survive and a resumption of radical protest is to be avoided. Of concern in the interim is the fact that Bord Iascaigh Mhara is not actively preparing the groundwork for such a scheme. I stated in the House on 19 June that the preferable outcome to the negotiations would be an EU funded scheme. EU or Exchequer funded, the preparatory work must be done. What we must not allow is European Commission agreement on a rescue package for the fisheries sector comprising EU and State funding. As a result of the recession, of the Government's and the former Minister for Finance's own making, we will not be in a position, although permission to do so is given at European Commission level, to match the level of state aid provided for French and Spanish fishermen who compete with Irish fishermen in the waters surrounding this island. That would be the worst of both worlds and unacceptable.

The negotiating mettle of the Minister and his colleagues in the Department will be tested to secure the best possible financial rescue package prior to 15 July. Most of those involved in the fishing industry do not really care from where the funding comes, be it from the Exchequer, the European Commission or outer Mongolia. What is clear is that the industry needs a financial injection. What will not be tolerated on this side of the House is Irish fishermen being placed at a competitive disadvantage vis-À-vis those with whom they compete on a daily basis, in particular French and Spanish fishermen, in the seas around this island.

President Sarkozy will visit this country shortly. I call on the Taoiseach and the Minister to raise these important issues with him in order that we can comprehend and respond to proposals from the French Government during its six month Presidency of the European Union. It will be an opportunity not to be missed to pursue an increase in the total allowable catch of cod in the Celtic Sea which has the backing — this is an important point — of the Marine Institute.

Against this calamitous background, fishermen face the added uncertainty of the interpretation and implementation of complex fisheries legislation by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority that could result in criminal convictions for breaches that elsewhere in the European Union result only in the application of administrative sanctions. Having had extensive consultations with fishermen and their representative organisations, this, with the perceived over-zealous enforcement by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, is an issue of the utmost gravity, only behind the issues of diesel prices and quotas. It is ironic that while the European Union is widely looked to for many solutions, financial and otherwise, this is seen as an own goal by the industry. It is a legal provision expressly against the wishes of the Commission and the experience of other member states which, if there was the political will, could be changed immediately. Clearly, the Government does not have the political will to deal with the issue. This is not about condoning illegal fishing; it is about a uniform system of sanctions across the EU. The political impotence and double standards of Fianna Fáil backbenchers are clear; they say one thing on the plinth or in their constituencies when talking to fishermen and the exact opposite when confronted by the bully-boy tactics of the Minister, Deputy Dempsey. Tomorrow night's vote is their opportunity for redemption. The Tadhgs ar dhá thaobh have a second chance.

We hear much today about global food shortages, but we do not hear enough about the approximately two million tonnes of edible fish that are thrown back, mostly dead, into the sea in the name of conservation. What a scandal. The fish are not recorded as catch and could therefore skew conservation efforts. With millions in the world starving, it is surely possible, without compromising the core objective of conservation, to organise the industry to bring this high-quality health food ashore and allocate species to others whose quotas are not filled. Technical innovation should also address the issue of accidental catching of small fish. It is immoral in the current climate that the action demanded by quotas and accidental catch is to throw dead fish back into the sea. It is entirely unacceptable. If the public knew this was how the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU obliges fishermen to behave, they would be appalled.

With an appropriate investment strategy, as outlined by the Cawley report, the potential for added value, import substitution and increased employment in the industry is significant. Seafood faces the same challenge as Irish agricultural produce — beef, dairy and so on — from imports of dubious quality because of the failure to label, brand and market. Because consumers have a right to know where produce comes from, and because of the significant economic benefits that can accrue, Irish fish and all Irish food should have clear, foolproof country-of-origin labelling. An opportunity has been missed regarding the branding, marketing and processing of seafood in Ireland, with a few notable exceptions. It is worth noting that the fishing industry is substantially, though not exclusively, located in peripheral areas of the country where alternative opportunities for employment are not readily available.

At a time of great challenge in attracting new industry due to global competition, and with increasing evidence of relocation of existing companies, we simply cannot afford not to develop the seafood sector. The industry, BIM and the Government need to accelerate the process of investment, with the Cawley strategy providing the blueprint for what needs to be done.

See this speech in context