Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the newly appointed Sinn Féin junior spokesperson on rural affairs, community development and an Ghaeltacht, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. As most speakers will have mentioned already, our agrifood sector is the backbone of rural Ireland and rural communities but the industry faces real challenges from market volatility, disastrous trade deals like Mercosur coming down the tracks, unfair fish quotas, tariffs and climate change. Government, in that context, must support and empower family farms and fishing communities to diversify and thrive economically. Farm economies are crucial in keeping the lights on in rural Ireland. I have to mention the delays affecting payments under ACRES. I know it has been brought up here by other Deputies. This is causing very real hardship for young farmers and I join the calls already made here today for an urgent resolution of the issue.

Government needs to take urgent steps to empower rural communities to diversify their economic base, adding value to their agricultural and fishing output in their locality by processing, branding and marketing their produce and derivatives, and through supporting microgeneration of electricity on farms and delivering dependable broadband connectivity so that family farmers and those engaged in fishing can have some hope of another income stream. Our costal communities, especially those that depend on inshore fisheries, have been neglected for decades now. These brave men and women who go to sea deserve increased support and infrastructural investment. Regarding infrastructure, I appeal to the Minister to review the regulations of the local authority ports and harbours funding scheme so that councils can apply for funding not just for works like dredging and strengthening works but for the licensing and impact assessments that are required to carry out that work. Currently, they are not able to get funding from the Department for that. This is a very pertinent issue right around the coast but in particular at Cé Heilbhic in my own constituency, where lives and livelihoods are being put at risk.

We must promote Irish seafood at home and abroad while adding to the value of the industry and diversifying the economies of fishing communities. Investing in agrifood is critical in keeping our rural communities and our economy alive. We also need to see action from Government to ensure there are homes and services available within those communities. Our rural areas are being deserted as vacant holiday homes take the place of the farmstead and the fishing village from Inishowen to Heilbhic Head. As the Sinn Féin spokesperson on rural affairs, I will work to hold this Government to account but I will also work with the Minister and with others in this House to offer policy suggestions and solutions to improve people's lives in rural Ireland and to bring our young people back to live on our lands and beside our seas.

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