Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)

I am grateful to speak on this matter with my colleagues from Kerry, Deputies Healy-Rae and Martin Ferris. I understand other Kerry Deputies have made representations to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coveney, as I have. I have held meetings with a number of delegations in Dingle and they expressed concern at the Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012. This affects not just tour operators operating boats to see Fungi but also people who have yachts in the marina and commercial fishermen. All groups are concerned about potential increases in charges to use Dingle Harbour.

At a time when the State needs to do everything possible to assist business and those contributing to economic activity in the locality and creating employment, we should not increase fees. Some people are paying €2,000 and will potentially have to pay three or four times that amount. If we were to suggest to any business owner that rates could increase by that amount, we would be told where to go. I ask the Minister to consider carefully the submissions made to the Department before the deadline of 20 April. The Minister should carefully consider the submissions and not just go with the draft prepared by officials in his Department.

I thank the Minister for engaging with me on this matter. He gave me a commitment to examine this carefully. I hope he will come up with a common sense solution to this problem. The people who come to Dingle to see Fungi are dependent on the service, as are the fishermen and the yachts that come into Dingle. If the charges increase, we will jeopardise all three categories. Yachts will not come into Dingle, fishermen will find it impossible to operate and one of the oldest and most successful attractions in west Kerry will be jeopardised. I am not prepared to stand over that and I hope common sense will apply.

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