Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The town most impacted by Brexit in Ireland, if not Europe, is Killybegs.

With regard to Brexit adjustment reserve funding, I put €33 million into Killybegs over the past two years through various schemes. The processing sector in Killybegs alone got €12 million in grants. Recently, €8 million was made available for the pelagic liquidity aid scheme. Over the three or four years I have been Minister, I have invested €33 million in addition to the reserve funding to extend Smooth Point pier, and another €5 million is to be made available this year. There is no doubt that Killybegs has been affected, however, and I very much recognise that. I have organised a meeting there tonight to talk to all stakeholders and determine how we can ensure the town can go forward, be supported through the challenge of Brexit and have its wonderful industry and the wonderful support industries that have grown up around it supported to develop.

Deputy Collins referred to Union Hall. We have put some grant funding into it but no other grant funding proposal has been received. It is in the bailiwick of the county council to put that proposal together and submit it. I will seek to ensure funding is available for piers and harbours such as that at Union Hall in the future. I am providing €13 million specifically from national funding this year to support several piers and harbours around the country. I was glad to be in Castletownbere with Deputy Collins and other colleagues, including Christopher O’Sullivan, a couple of weeks ago to officially open a project at Castletownbere Harbour in which I invested €48 million. An extra 100 m of berth space was developed. Important infrastructure for the town was put in place to safeguard it for the future.

I am continuing to advocate regarding bluefin tuna at European level. Traditionally, we have not had a quota for bluefin tuna. We have one for albacore tuna but not bluefin tuna. I am fighting this at European level; however, where any adjustment to quotas and total allowable catch requires qualified majority voting, it is obviously a challenge, but one I continue to pursue in every way possible.

I discussed the fuel challenge in the inshore sector.

There has been some easing of it recently and I continue to monitor it. I did a second tie-up scheme to support the sector with the fuel challenges. Thankfully, we have seen some easing of it but there is still a real pressure in terms of cost and I continue to monitor it.

I thank everyone for the engagement today. I welcome this opportunity and at any stage that Opposition Members should wish to order it again through the Business Committee and the Ceann Comhairle.

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