Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)

Comhghairdeas leis an Aire Stáit as a ról nua agus go n-éirí leis sa phost. It is imperative, as ever, that we should consider the future of our seas, our environment, our oceans and our rivers and the biodiversity that lives in them. Last week, the Taoiseach attended the UN Ocean Conference in Nice in France. Its theme was accelerating action and mobilising all actions to conserve and sustainably use the ocean. After the event, the Taoiseach said he wants Ireland to be a leading nation in global maritime policy. Well, change comes from within and if the Taoiseach had spent any of his 30 plus years as a public representative engaging meaningfully with the climate, biodiversity and fisheries crises Ireland is currently facing, we might not be in such a state.

Here are the facts. Under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Governments, half our rivers and lakes are in poor or bad ecological states according to the CSO. My county of Kildare has the lowest proportion of rivers in good or high ecological status. The River Rye in Leixlip is one that has been in poor ecological status and this is a river best known for its salmon spawning. There has been a gross loss of fish and other aquatic life because of pollution. There have been numerous fish kills even since I was elected to the Dáil. There is also the lack of protection from the Government through maritime legislation.

Ireland has committed to designating 30% of its waters as marine protected areas by 2030, of which at least 10% must be strictly protected areas to ensure the greatest benefit to nature, climate and coastal communities and sustainability. This provides us with an opportunity to reverse biodiversity loss and to strengthen the ecosystems of our oceans. This is why I am calling on the Government to fully implement the Common Fisheries Policy, which is critical for ensuring our seas remain productive and resilient. To not do so would be detrimental to every one of us.

The impact of the poor state of our waters is evident today. Only yesterday, representatives from Wexford County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, were before the climate committee due to the ecological disaster unfolding in one of Ireland's largest salt-water lagoons in Lady's Island Lake. Wexford County Council agreed this was a problem it has known about for years but has not been given any help from the Government to address. This lake has been designated by the NPWS as a protected area for nature conservation yet nothing has been done by the Government to address the ecological disaster there 40 years after the issue was first identified. Representatives of Aquafact, an environmental monitoring group, were also before the committee yesterday. They told us that in Oughterard beside Lough Corrib in County Galway there used to be four hotels full of fishermen and fisherwomen to cater for the mayfly season. Only one of those hotels is currently in operation as the mayfly has died out on the Corrib.

Other issues extend to the Six Counties. It is imperative as part of our planning for a united Ireland that this Government acts immediately to address the biodiversity crisis across the island. Since Britain left the European Union, there has been little emphasis on cross-Border initiative when it comes to ecosystems and biodiversity loss. We and the people in the North are dependent on this Government to lead the way in ensuring marine protection right across the Thirty-two Counties on our island. The deterioration of our seas and the destruction of their biodiversity is also impacting the health of our rivers and the work of our fishermen and fisherwomen. Biodiversity loss will lead to job losses, as was clear in Oughterard, in our tourism industry. We must be clear about this. Not only will jobs be lost, but also lost will be a way of life for our fishers. It was very moving to listen to Deputy Mac Lochlainn talking about the fishermen and fisherwomen of County Donegal and how this way of life has been passed down through families. Marine protected areas and a Common Fisheries Policy will lead to economic viability for Ireland's fishing communities and to a healthier environment for us all.

See this speech in context