Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To be clear, officials in my Department have worked consistently to ensure the voice of fishers is heard across the Government, which is where the challenge lies. It is always heard within the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, but some of these issues are led by other Departments. Like fishers, my Department’s officials have always sought to ensure that engagement exists. There is a constant push, as one must make one’s voice heard constantly. I am raising this matter at Cabinet level all of the time to ensure fishers and their representatives play a key part in how we step forward on this. They were on the sea and knew how to use it to everyone’s benefit long before other opportunities arose. While offshore wind now presents a great opportunity, we must respect those who have been using the sea for many years and whose livelihoods depend on it as we progress our plans.

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