John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

Even when Ireland joined the European Economic Community in 1973, there was a feeling among fishermen and the fishing industry that, to excuse the pun, they were being sold down the river. To a large degree, it is true that fishing has been one of the Cinderellas of industry despite it being an indigenous industry of considerable importance for coastal communities. People sometimes forget that it makes a significant contribution to the economy in difficult times.

Ireland's 2010 quota for mackerel was 62,643 tonnes. The quota is divided, with 87% for 23 boats. These are known as the refrigerated sea water, RSW, fleet, which is almost exclusively based in the Killybegs-Donegal area. The remaining 13% is given to the rest of the boats in the State, that is, the polyvalent fleet, dry hold fleet, gill net fleet, and so on. Thanks to the excellent negotiations of the Minster of State, Deputy Connick, and his Department, Ireland has received an increase of 10% for the 2011 fishery. I take this opportunity to congratulate him warmly on his performance as Minister of State. He has been a revelation and the industry recognises that his talents have been of considerable benefit to it.

The increase for the 2011 fishery equates to 6,000 tonnes. Deputy Christy O'Sullivan and I are asking the Minster of State to allocate the additional 10% or a larger proportion thereof to the polyvalent, dry hold and gill net fleets because those boats, by the nature of their size and catching capacity, land fish mostly in the State. This has added value, in that they benefit small coastal communities throughout Ireland, not just in the Donegal-Killybegs area - I am referring to ports like Howth, Dunmore East, Baltimore, Castletownbere, Dingle and Ross a Mhíl - with additional direct jobs as well as all ancillary services associated with the loading processing and distribution of the fish.

With the additional 6,000 tonnes at the Minister of State's disposal, he can go a long way towards expanding and promoting the mackerel industry throughout the whole of Ireland without causing any loss of quota to the larger and established industry in Donegal by allocating the additional 10% to the 14 polyvalent and hundreds of smaller boats around the coast. Given that the 23 RSW fleet boats land a large amount of their quota outside the State, the Minister of State should try to ensure that the new additional quota at his disposal should be landed and remain in the State to create jobs in coastal rural communities where they are most needed. At this point in our economic history, it is important that we utilise our indigenous resources for the benefit of our people and ensure that any added value arising from those resources directly or indirectly benefits our country.

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