Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is ócáid iontach tábhactach é nuair atáimid ag pléigh ceisteanna talmhaíochta anseo sa Dáil, ceisteanna a chuireann isteach ar cheantair ar fud na tuaithe agus ar fud an Stáit. Tá a fhios againn an tábhacht a bhaineann le tionchar eacnamaíochta na talmhaíochta agus an méid a chuireann sí leis an eacnamaíocht.

Ní hamháin go bhfuil sé ag cur leis an eacnamaíocht, tá sé ag cur le ceantair tuaithe agus ceantair ina bhfuilimid ag feiceáil barradh na tuaithe le blianta beaga anuas. Chonaic muid sin ó thoabh daoine ag aistriú go dtí na cathracha agus bailte móra agus feasta mar gheall ar imirce. Anois, chímid an cruachás ina bhfuil ceist na talmhaíochta ann i ngach aicme difriúil den talmhaíocht. Labhair an Teachta Ferris ní ba luaithe sa díospóireacht fá dtaobh de na cinntí móra agus luchtacha a ghlac an Stát agus an tAontas Eorpach ó thaobh ceist na talmhaíochta, go háirithe na cúotaí fá choinne bainne. Ag an am sin, bhí Sinn Féin ag rá nach scéal maith a bhí ann do gach duine cé go raibh an tAire, an Rialtas agus a leithéad ag rá gur scéal ar dóigh a bhí ann don tír agus do fheirmeoirí ar fud an Stáit. Chímid inniu arís go raibh Sinn Féin i gceart ar an gceist sin agus chímid go bhfuil praghasanna ar lítear bhainne atá na feirmeoirí ag fáil níos lú ná an costas a bhaineann leis an bainne sin a chur ar fáil.

Tá fadhbanna móra ansin. Tá fadhbanna i earnálacha difriúla de thalmhaíocht. Ceann de rudaí a chím ag teacht as Tír Chonaill ó bheith ag éisteacht, ag caint agus ag pléigh le feirmeoirí ann ná nach dtuigeann an Rialtas seo - mar an gcéanna leis an Rialtas deireanach - an deacracht atá ag feirmeoirí, go háirithe feirmeoirí atá ag feirmeoireacht ar thalamh atá ar chnoic nó ar choimín nó talamh nach bhfuil chomh maith le talamh i lár na tíre, agus nach bhfuil na tacaíochtaí cuí ansin le cuidiú le na teaghlaigh seo fanacht ar an talamh agus le cinntiú go bhfuil glún eile ag teacht i ndiaidh sa dóigh go mbeidh talmhaíocht agus an gnó sin flúirseach sa taobh sin den tír amach anseo. Sílim go gcaithfidh cibé Rialtas atá ag teacht i bhfeidhm an tseachtain seo chugainn nó ina dhiaidh aghaidh a thabhairt ar an bhfadhb sin agus deileáil leis go bhfuil dóigheanna difriúla agus firicí difriúla i bhfeidhm i dtalmhaíocht i gceantracha difriúla ar fud na tíre. Tá a fhios agam, arís ón méid a phléigh an Teachta Ferris, go ndearna sé féin tuairisc don choiste talmhaíochta ar a shuí sé, coiste a ghlac leis an tuairisc d'aon ghuth ó thaobh na fadhbanna a bhí ann do thalmhaíocht agus iascaireacht i gceantair iartharacha na tíre seo ó Dhún na nGall thíos go Ciarraí. Ba chóir dúinn an tuaraisc seo a thabhairt anuas ón seilf agus ionchur na moltaí a bhí sa tuairisc sin a chuir i bhfeidhm ar na fadhbanna móra ansin.

Ní hamháin go bhfuil fadhbanna san earnáil talmhaíochta ar fud an Stáit seo, tá fadhbanna feasta san earnáil iascaireachta. Mar is eol don Aire, tagaim féin ó cheantair chóstach, ceantar an Mhuine Beag i bparóiste Ghaoth Dobhair, áit ina raibh go leor iascaireacht ag tarlú. Tá cuimhne agam féin le linn an tsamhraidh an t-airgead a bhí ar fáil mar gheall ar iascaireacht na mbradáin, na daoine a bhí amuigh ar na báid trí na séasúir difriúla agus go raibh go leor báid ag obair thíos ar chéanna an Mhuine Beag, céanna Ailt an Chorráin, na Cealla Beaga, na Dúnaibh agus na céanna difriúla ar fud an chósta. Inniu, ar an drochuair, níl sin ann. Amach as Ailt an Chorráin, chímid bád amháin nó dhá cheann. Is é an ferry an bád is mó a théann amach go hÁrann Mór agus ar ais isteach achan lá. Chítear na seanphictiúir ina raibh na báid uilig gnóthach, ó am ina raibh daoine na háite i mbun gnó, ina raibh gnónna á bhunú sna ceantair cósta mar gheall ar an iascaireacht a bhí ag dul ar aghaidh agus ina raibh teaghlaigh ábalta maireachtáil mar gheall ar sin. Caithfidh an Rialtas aghaidh a thabhairt ar an bhfadhb seo arís. Táimid ag ligean do na báid mhóra, na supertrawlers atá ag iascaireacht amach ónár gcósta, agus an dóigh atá an tír seo ag láimhseáil na pointí seo nuair atá siad ag dul go dtí an Eoraip agus ag pléigh na ceisteanna seo lena gcomhghleacaithe ag leibhéal an Aontais Eorpaigh. Caithfidh an tAire an fód a sheasamh do na iascairí beaga, na hiascairí ón gcósta, agus go háirithe na hiascairí ó na hoileáin sa dóigh is go dtig linn cinntiú go bhfuil na hiasc atá fós san fharraige ábalta tacaíocht a thabhairt do ceantair cósta, ceantair atá ar an imeall agus ceantair mar sin amach anseo.

Ba mhaith liom díriú isteach ar cheist amháin a chur mé os comhair an Aire fá dtaobh de na pointí pionóis atá curtha i bhfeidhm ag an Rialtas seo ar iascairí. Dúirt mé cheana é agus déarfaidh mé arís é: it is disappointing that, given the lack of a legislative programme - Members have dealt with no legislation since the election 68 days ago - the Minister had plenty of time to sort out the mess surrounding the penalty points system for fishing vessels over the past 68 days but simply refused to do it. In his statement earlier today in response to Deputy Ferris, the Minister said he understood the frustration of fishermen and groups around the country, as well as the overwhelming opposition of the majority of Members of this House to the legislation he signed. This is the key point and the penny must drop at some stage. The majority of Members of this House oppose that statutory instrument. It is in this context that he is reverting to the Attorney General to ask that the statutory instrument be amended to delay the placing of penalty points on a vessel until a successful prosecution of a vessel. Perhaps someone from the Minister's office can clarify whether the Attorney General, when she provided advice to the Minister last March, agreed that the specific provision Mr. Justice O'Connor found to be ultra viresto the Constitution should be copied and pasted word for word from one statutory instrument, which was deemed unconstitutional, to another. In the first statutory instrument, the mechanism for penalty points is set up by section 10(7) and in the new statutory instrument the Minister signed within days of the general election at the beginning of March this year, that is, Statutory Instrument No. 125 of 2016, it is copied verbatim into section 12(7). The Minister also made the point that the statutory instrument has not yet come into effect but it has been signed by him and will only be annulled if a motion for annulment is put within 21 sitting days of this House. There is no source of comfort for members of the fishing industry who, as matters stand, have many reasons to fear for the future. As it stands, a fisherman can receive a letter informing him or her that his or her vessel has received penalty points with no explanation given and it then is up to such people to prove they are not guilty, rather than the reverse burden of proof as happens in the legal system.

Mr. Justice O'Connor again stated that it was not acceptable to use delegated legislation to reverse the norm in the legal system. The lack of transparency also is a concern for many. The 1972 Act under which directives are transposed into secondary legislation is designed as a mechanism to free up the work of the Oireachtas. Members should listen carefully to the point that it is not intended to pass extra measures without having these subject to the scrutiny of the Dáil. This is exactly what has happened in the case of this statutory instrument and indeed Mr. Justice O'Connor recommended that if the Minister did wish to introduce measures that were outside the scope of the 1972 Act on EU directives, he would then be obliged to introduce such provisions by primary legislation.

Last week, Sinn Féin held a briefing on the matter and within 15 minutes, we were told that the argument most offered by the Minister and again this morning, namely, he was obliged to act quickly to fulfil the European Union obligation, simply does not stand up to any scrutiny. I have listed enough reasons for the Minister to consider seriously the motion that has been put before this House by Sinn Féin, other political parties and Independent Members, which is to annul this statutory instrument until there is full consultation. We have written to the Ceann Comhairle and I ask him to take notice of what I am stating again today. My party leader, Deputy Adams, has written to the Ceann Comhairle to ask him, through the parliamentary legal adviser, to assist Deputies by informing them as to their legal right to place an annulment motion before the House. If I am correct, the Ceann Comhairle has stated previously that such motions are to be taken in Private Members' time. Let me make clear that the Act which allows a Minister to introduce a statutory instrument also allows Deputies to put forward an annulment motion. The process is time limited within 21 sitting days and not every Member of this House has access to Private Members' time. Therefore, this House, if it continues in this trend, will be acting against the laws it itself has passed to allow Members of this House to put forward a motion in this regard.

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