Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have written to the Minister on a number of issues, so I ask him to respond in writing and that he makes it a priority. I have four and a half minutes to convey to the Minister that he is allowing the EU to destroy Ireland's fishing industry. I want him to fight for the fishermen and women of this country, particularly those of the fishing communities in Kilmore and Duncannon who are dependent on the industry for their very survival. From 1 April, Irish fishing boats will no longer be able to land their catch in UK ports. This will leave them with increased costs of millions of euro due to having to go to French or Belgian ports and then transport their catch back to Ireland to be processed. They will need to go hundreds of extra nautical miles and hundreds of extra kilometres to earn their living and help their communities survive, with added risk to life and limb.

The Minister recently announced five extra landing ports in Ireland to facilitate foreign-registered vehicles. He should display the same level of interest and support for Irish fishing boats which by absolute necessity must retain the right to land in UK ports after 1 April. I would appreciate that. Where is the common sense attached? Why is there no mention of the carbon footprint we hear so much about on this particular subject? What does the Minister intend to do because if it is nothing then he had better tell us that himself? I saw the Minister on "Ear to the Ground" and was not very impressed. We heard from Mr. John Lynch of the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation. We heard also from Mr. Shane McIntyre and Ms Kathleen Ni Hea from Dunmore, County Waterford. Like the fishermen and women of County Wexford, they said that they want to earn their livelihoods. The last time I checked that was the right of every citizen in Ireland under our Constitution. They expect this Government to uphold that right and not stand by while it is diminished, losing as much as 15% of their fishing quota, at a cost in excess of €43 million. Boat owners and the fish processors in these communities face ruin if the Minister does not step in and fight on their behalf.

Another seriously important issue which has been mentioned many times in this debate is the national hunt sector. It is in crisis and facing very grave consequences if the Minister does not devise a way to allow point-to-point to return in the next two weeks. The impact of the Minister's decision to halt point-to-point, stating it is not an elite sport, shows a very poor understanding of the importance of the point-to-point industry nationally. Halting the ability of horse owners and handlers to establish value by being able to run horses, sell them and then use the sales revenue to purchase three-year-olds for next season in Goffs and Tattersalls is vital to the continued prosperity of the national hunt industry in Ireland. County Wexford is a world leader in point-to-point racing which employs thousands of people countrywide. This is totally unacceptable. Point-to-point proceeded successfully from October to December without incident. It has a proven track record of being able to hold its events safely and behind closed doors. Will the Minister confirm he will ensure this Government can come up with a remedy before its actions ruin another sector?

I recently had a Zoom call with some of my farming constituents. One matter that arises at this time of year is dog controls. Will the Minister tell the House whether he endorses the IFA campaign on dog control, including the significant asks of the campaign such as mandatory microchipping and stronger regulations? It not only protects farmers' sheep stocks but also protects dog owners from losing their beloved pets in any unfortunate incident which may arise. It is important that this campaign is recognised as a shared benefit campaign.

Lastly I raise something which came to my attention just this morning. HGV drivers with valuable Irish produce such as pharmaceuticals and meat products are being held up and delayed with deliveries because they are now required to have a negative Covid test at nearly all borders in the EU, Germany and Italy included. This morning there were in excess of 500 drivers sitting at the Italian border having to be tested. The EU’s response is most disjointed. I ask the Minister to address this with his EU counterparts to make testing provisions widely available so drivers do not have to sit for days with Ireland's exports being delayed and devalued.

See this speech in context