Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

It is important to state, just for the record, that how those quotas are divvied out is the Minister's decision. It is blatantly and disproportionately in favour of the larger players. It is something we see a playbook for from this and successive Governments, that there is a disproportionate favour for those big players and that the smaller people in the business have massively lost out. The reality is it is impacting the inshore sector at the moment with markets for brown crab and stuff being much less. There is a lot going on. It would say a lot for the Department to really acknowledge the inshore sector and at the very least allow a bit more of a quota. Some 98% of 2% is just shocking.

I understand that the Minister is meeting officials from Cork County Council soon with regard to Keelbeg Pier in Union Hall. It is one of those areas where works have been done to the main pier and that is welcome for the fishing sector. In terms of the coastline that is used for the community and for lots of different activities and all of those things, there is a major need for works on that area. In advance of the meeting with Cork County Council what is the Minister's view on this? Will funding be made available? Any update on the situation in Keelbeg Pier would be very appreciated.

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