Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As regards the commitment in the programme for Government to rural and coastal community sustainability, I refer to fishing sector, with particular reference to landings made by foreign trawlers in Irish ports. I have been told that the figure for total landings in Castletownbere, in the Tánaiste's county, in 2016 came to €111,000,000, of which 65% or €72,150,000 was accounted for by foreign trawlers. Up to 15 articulated lorries consistently collect fish on a weekly basis to take it out of our jurisdiction to be processed elsewhere. Can anything be done about the added value that would accrue from the construction of a processing plant? Such a plant would be of great benefit to local coastal communities such as Castletownbere, Dingle and others that are suffering.

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