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

I thank the Minister for recognising that we were the only group that tabled a motion representing inshore fishers. They have been left behind in many ways. The Minister spoke for ten minutes, but he did not say whether he would accede to our request for €12 million for inshore fishers in our coastal communities. They are on their knees. The situation has been spelled out for the Minister. For example, the season for shrimp fishing is September to March. Since September, the situation worsened badly because there was no market in Spain, Portugal and other tourist destinations. The price was bad and there was no market in the end. Since mid-October, there has been storm after storm and wind after wind, and many fishers have either been unable to fish or have only been able to fish poorly. Their window of opportunity was short. They ceased fishing from 1 December because there was no market. We are asking the Government for €12 million to tide them over and try to keep them going. Every other sector, including in other countries, is being looked after well by their respective governments, but our fishers are being left behind. They are an integral part of coastal communities. If they do not make a few bob, shops, local pubs and local restaurants will also be left behind.

We have to accept that our inshore fishers are affected by the major increase in the cost of fuel and that they cannot get VAT back. The Government will blame the war for the fuel costs and the loss of the market, but we are calling on the State for financial assistance of €12 million to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the crisis.

Smaller piers are being neglected. I can think of those that are local to me, starting on the Kenmare side and going all the way along to Templenoe, Blackwater, Tahilla, Rossdohan, Oysterbed, Sneem, Gleesk and so forth. On the other side are the piers at Coornagillagh, Kilmakilloge, Lauragh and Castletownbere.

There are many small fishers in those areas who are trying to improvise and keep going. They are getting no social welfare payments and are working by doing small bits of farming or building. Fishing was an integral part of their incomes, but it is lost to them completely now. The Minister says he comes from a place much like the ones we represent. These people have boats of less than 12 m in length at between 16 ft and 18 ft. I think of people like Mr. Frank Riney, Mr. Michael Clamper, Joe Jim at Blackwater and the O'Sheas of Rossdohan. There are two sets of O'Sheas there – Mike and Donal. There are also the O'Briens in Sneem. These people try hard. Their work is dangerous. I used to work on the roads along the bay and I often asked why they were out on bad days when the wind was blowing and the rain was down. I was told those were the best days to get more fish.

Large trawlers come up the bay in Kenmare. The Government says it is involved in the protection of smaller vessels, but what is it doing when two large trawlers sail up either side of the bay with nets across it to clean everything out? I raised this matter at the Oireachtas committee a few months ago. What will the Government do to stop this from happening? It is unfair. These trawlers are taking everything, which means we have had no mackerel. Many people have told me there has been no mackerel this year. I remember fishers from Macroom, Innishannon and so on calling to the bar with buckets of mackerel. They would throw out a few and they were grand, but there has been no sign of them in recent years because there has been no mackerel. The bay is being cleaned out. We hear about large factory ships landing at Dingle Harbour. They are so large that 12 forklifts can work on them at the same time. We are told they are from different countries, so there is no accountability and they cannot be taxed. We are even told of Chinese factory ships, and we know what harm the Chinese are doing beyond factory ships. Fishers at Cahersiveen and other piers are being impacted. I call on the Government. Please, it is looking after every other section of the community, including other nationalities, well, but we are leaving these people behind. We have to look after them. They are an integral part of our coastal communities. They are important to the likes of the Lake House, the Blackwater Tavern and Helen's Pub in Kilmakilloge, which is run so well by Ms Helen Moriarty and her staff. These people and local shops depend on fishers surviving.

I respectfully appeal to the Government to come down when its members are asked to. The Minister says he is from a coastal community, and he is. He must look after coastal communities – his own people – no matter what the Green Party or anyone else says. This is his time. He is the Minister in charge of these small fishers. I respectfully appeal to him to look after them. This is an important issue. We are the only group to table a motion like this one.

I must highlight the state of the two roads on either side of Kenmare Bay. The road to Lauragh is crisscrossed by trees, which fish lorries are hitting.

West of Blackwater Bridge, the other road is a state. If an articulated truck went around a car, the car would be under it. Then a few miles back the road we can see where 2 km of a footpath and cycleway was put in but there is no cycleway leading to this new cycle path or out of it. It makes no sense in the world. People lose their lives there and there are crashes there every day. It is so important that we have a safe road for these vehicles. I am glad when I see these big lorries going up to the village carrying fish. It is because we are producing something. In the few seconds I have left, I want to thank Star Seafoods and the McCarthys for the employment it has provided over the years. There is a new generation there now and the company is looking the local people and trying to employ people. The cost of fish and the scarcity of it at the present time is impacting on that. We must ensure that places like that are kept going. We have been hit badly enough as it is, but if we lose the people who are involved in working in inshore fishing, our communities will be completely doomed.

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