Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On factory prices, something is radically wrong when farmers are producing beef and cannot make a marginal, small, modest profit on it. Something has to be done about this. There has been enough talk about it but, unfortunately, there has been no action.

Our fishermen were sold out in the recent Brexit negotiations. Small fishermen are finding it difficult. The Minister is doing his best on the pair trawling issue and I compliment him on that. It is something that was dealt with unfavourably in a certain way in the judicial system that is currently being reviewed. I hope there will be an appeal on that issue because fishermen are hurting when they see every type of fish in their bays being swept up. There are fishermen operating out of small piers. They have made contributions of investment into small piers in rural areas. I will give the example of Coornagillagh in Tuosist. If a certain small amount of money was put into that pier, it would make a massive difference to the local fishermen using it. On behalf of fishermen in Coornagillagh and every other small pier in Kerry, I ask the Minister to look at that issue.

On the issue of dog attacks, I am thankful to Radio Kerry and the farmers in the west of Dingle with whom I dealt recently and whose sheep were attacked by dogs. We want to send a clear message that walkers coming on holiday are more than welcome when they are allowed to come, but we do not want dogs to be allowed to roam free and do damage.

On the forestry issue, the licensing situation is totally chaotic, as has previously been debated in the Dáil. I ask the Minister, for God's sake, to do something inside in his Department to free it up so that people will be able to plant trees, cut trees, make roads and harvest.

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