Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

I raise this issue because there is deep concern in Fermoy about proposals made by the OPW to replace the weir in the town with a rock ramp pass. People fear for their rowing club which some argue has been in existence since Adam was a boy. They fear that if the weir is replaced by a rock ramp, it will have untold consequences for the water level in the River Blackwater, thus negating the amenity value of the rowing club.

Why is the Government proceeding with this folly? There is no justification for the project. The OPW's flood alleviation works were sanctioned and welcomed but it is now seeking to change the weir, to which there seems to be no logic. When I put a question to the Minister on the issue on 4 November, I was told the direction had been issued in the interests of conserving wild salmon resources and avoiding the initiation of infringement proceedings by the European Commission under the habitats directive on foot of a complaint lodged with the Environment Directorate-General of the Commission.

Given that the Government is seeking to adhere to the habitats directive, the people of Fermoy and I would like to know the nature of the complaint and who lodged it. We want to know the justification for it. If it is to ensure enough salmon can get up the river, plenty of salmon are being caught by rod on the river. It does not require the destruction of the weir to ensure more salmon can get up the river because there is a much cheaper solution that would ensure the continuation of a fish pass without compromising the valuable amenity constituted by the rowing club in Fermoy.

We want to ensure the future viability of the rowing club. We do not see the economic justification for the proposal in the current climate. If the Minister of State tells me that the project is being carried out by the OPW because Fermoy Town Council cannot afford to do so, she should note that the former Minister of State, Deputy John Browne, visited the town in 2006. Two years have passed since his visit and the project is to be hitched to an OPW flood alleviation plan, to which there is no logic to whatsoever. The people of Fermoy cannot comprehend it.

The EU habitats directive is being used as a battering ram to carry out the project. There is no justification for this. If there was a complaint lodged to the Environment Directorate-General of the Commission, will the Minister of State make a copy of it available to the House in order that Members will know exactly who is behind the works? I do not believe for one moment that the OPW is fully responsible and believe there are other mechanisms at play. I would go so far as to say the Southern Regional Fisheries Board is the main instigator and that it is seeking to justify its position. It will gladly sacrifice a rowing club to this end but should realise that, ultimately, as many salmon will get up the river without a rock ramp as they would if one were installed. Hiding behind the fallacy of a habitats directive is typical of a Government which has used the European Union when it wants to push through some bad proposals. This project will have an adverse effect on the community in Fermoy. I ask the Government to rethink its strategy, particularly in the current economic climate.

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