Brian Stanley (Laois, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Martin Ferris. I will not need 20 minutes.

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I know that we have been around the reasons for it. The purpose is to correct the flaws in the 2010 Act. It is important that our inland waterways, lakes and canals are protected and that the fish stocks in them are protected too. This is important for fishermen and the local angling clubs that do great work. It is important for tourism that we have a good system of enforcement in place. I welcome the fact that we got a good briefing on the matter from the officials in the Department. That was very helpful.

A good deal of damage is done by illegal fishing. This includes wilful damage, flouting the law and flouting regulations. It causes many problems by destroying fish stock in inland waterways and canals.

In my constituency, we want to try to ensure that the waterways of the Barrow and the Nore and their tributaries, such as the River Erkina and the River Goul, as well as the canal from Monasterevin to Vicarstown, are maintained.

There is a huge amount of voluntary work being done right throughout the State by local angling clubs. They do a great deal of work maintaining rivers, streams and canals, stocking the waterways, ensuring that they are being maintained, protecting the native fish stocks and restocking brown trout, etc. They work with Inland Fisheries Ireland, local communities and local councils in that regard. What they are doing voluntarily plays a huge part in protecting the rivers, waterways and the environment, in improving the facilities for access to fishing and in providing a valuable recreational facility. There is also the financial benefit of tourism. While the State is tapping into that, I am of the view that a great deal more can be done. There is major potential there. I have seen figures over the years which indicated that one salmon caught is worth so much to the local economy. The figures are huge. They may be a little exaggerated but the amounts involved certainly run into hundreds of euro in terms of the benefit to local economies through bed and breakfast establishments, hotels, pubs, shops, car hire and everything else. That needs to be taken into account.

It is important that Inland Fisheries Ireland continues to work with local clubs to develop that even more. Local councils have a key role to play as well, particularly in light of the demise of the drainage boards. The drainage board for the River Nore has been gone for a long time, as has that relating to the River Barrow. That is unfortunate but it is something that may be a bit of an add-on to the local councils. The matter needs to be given closer attention. The role of local authorities is important in circumstances where they have taken the place of the old drainage boards. It is very important that there is close co-operation with the officials from Inland Fisheries Ireland and that they have people out on the ground building up and maintaining good relations with the fishing clubs. We can pass whatever laws we want in this House but if they are not enforced or are unenforceable, they have no effect. That kind of networking and roots in each area are very important.

The final matter I want to mention is with regard to the related matter of the ban on eel fishing since 2010. I understand that approximately 150 people are affected by it. These are individuals who were making genuine livelihoods from eel fishing. If this happened in any other area of employment - such as, in the context of agriculture, a ban being placed on sheep farming - there would be a compensation package or a hardship fund provided straight away. I ask the Minister to comment on this matter. I raise it today, although I know I have mentioned it to him in the past. What stage is that at? What is the likelihood of that happening? Is there any provision being made for it or what is the likelihood of it for those people whose businesses genuinely ended? Many of them are at an age and living in an area in which it is not easy for them to access alternative employment. I would appreciate a response from the Minister. What stage is it at and what hope is there for it?

We will be supporting the Bill. I know that Deputy Ferris wants to raise a particular issue as well. Overall, we welcome this Bill and will support it. We look forward to it progressing through the House and being on the Statute Book. The most important thing is that we do this with local communities, fishing clubs and anglers. We must not lose sight of that. It is like the Garda Síochána, in respect of which there has been a lot of discussion. It needs the local community on its side. If there is a separation between officialdom and the people on the ground, nothing happens and it will not work. We want to try to encourage that.

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