Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to reiterate some of the points made by previous speakers. The amendment is vitally important and goes to the heart of the matter. It also shows the mismanagement of the coastline by the Government. The Minister has said clearly that the matter must be dealt with through regulations and procedures that will be introduced afterwards, but that will not happen. That is why the issue is being raised and dealt with here. Nothing will happen afterwards. This legislation sat on the shelf for two years, during which nothing was done. All of a sudden it appeared and is being dealt with now. The Minister thinks he is going to regulate these issues and deal with them now, but he could have been doing so all along. It is not happening.

There is also the issue of the costs associated with many boats around the coast. When a person wants to become involved in fishing, perhaps because it has been a tradition in the family, because of the way the capacity licence system has been built in Ireland, he or she has to buy a boat at a cost of €50,000. A person living in the North can buy a boat on a far more cost effective basis. This has led to a situation which the Minister and the Department have allowed to develop over time where Northern Ireland registered boats are being operated all along the coastline by local people who are trying to get into a business in which their families may already have been involved. They are, however, prevented from doing so owing to the costs involved. The amendment would entitle them to develop their business, as well as keeping others out, which is vitally important.

Irish fishermen are not allowed to go to the North Sea to fish because they are stopped by Europe, England and everyone else. They have been restricted in that regard from the day we joined yet we are opening Irish waters to everyone. We are allowing everything to happen here because that is just the way things go on. We are such good Europeans that we will do it. We need to protect the fishermen who have tried genuinely to make a living for themselves as best they can. It is the inaction of the Department that has allowed this situation to arise. Fishermen have been caught up in that, which is unfair.

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