Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)

I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, of €27.75 million for capital projects at Ireland’s publicly owned harbours under the 2025 fishery harbour centres and coastal infrastructure development programme. While welcome news for our coastal communities, the way this funding is being divided is far from equitable. To touch on a point just mentioned by Deputy McGuinness, let us talk about harbours. This year, €19.5 million, or the lion’s share, is going to just six Department-run fishery harbour centres, while a mere €4.3 million is being allocated to the local authority marine infrastructure scheme, which must stretch to cover every other small harbour and pier in the State.

Let us put this in context. In Donegal, the Killybegs fishery harbour centre received over €11.2 million, while Donegal County Council, which is responsible for 155 piers and harbours, received just €450,000 towards projects costing an estimated €660,000. That is an unequal partnership, a drop in the ocean for our coastal local authorities which are struggling to maintain essential infrastructure that sustains their local fishing and tourism industries. To make matters worse, the six fishery harbour centres receive 100% of their project costs from the Department, while the local authorities receive only 75%, leaving the remaining 25% to be found from already overstretched local budgets or, ultimately, from local ratepayers. This is unfair. They should be receiving 100% funding. The result is that the smaller harbours, where most of our inshore fishers actually operate, are being left behind. These are the fishers who use the most environmentally sustainable and friendly methods of fishing. They are the backbone of our inshore fishing sector. They deserve modern, safe, well-maintained facilities just as much as any national harbour. Fishermen in the Donegal constituency have been in touch with Labour Party representatives in the county, including representatives from two local fishing co-ops, to tell us that they feel the Department is spending the lion’s share of harbour funding on itself, promoting projects that local fishers neither want nor need, simply because the Department has to use up its budget or risk losing it next year. That is not strategic investment; it is box-ticking.

We need a fairer, more balanced approach, one which recognises local authority piers and harbours as an intrinsic part of our national coastal infrastructure. Ireland’s network of piers, slipways and harbours supports not just fisheries, but marine tourism, recreation and local enterprise. Tourism and recreation in coastal areas are now the largest contributors to employment among Ireland’s marine industries. Marine tourism alone accounts for 10% of our overall tourism sector, with over 260 enterprises involved in marine leisure, from angling and diving to kayaking, surfing and visiting our offshore islands. The Wild Atlantic Way has shown what can be achieved when we invest in our coastal infrastructure and build a world-class destination brand. However, this success cannot continue if local marine infrastructure is left to crumble.

Fáilte Ireland continues to highlight the opportunities in coastal marine tourism, eco-tourism and sustainable growth, but these opportunities can only be realised if our piers and harbours are up to standard. In my constituency of Dublin Fingal West, Skerries and Balbriggan are both under the management of Fingal County Council. There have been consistent calls for capital works, including dredging, breakwater repairs and enhanced facilities for both the fishing and leisure sectors. Notably, Balbriggan Harbour forms a central element of the Balbriggan rejuvenation plan, which seeks to revitalise the town and its coastal infrastructure. The smaller harbours in Rush and Loughshinny continue to play an important role in supporting local fishermen and recreational users. However, these facilities also require upgrading, particularly in relation to safety measures, lighting, slipways and pontoons. Overall, there is a clear and ongoing need to invest in Fingal’s harbour infrastructure to improve safety and accessibility for all users; strengthen support for coastal tourism and local fishing activities; enhance resilience to climate impacts and coastal erosion; and ensure compliance with modern environmental and waste management standards. Fingal’s harbours are critical coastal assets, supporting both local economies and community life. However, they now require targeted investment and modernisation.

I am, therefore, calling for a fairer division of funding, with a 50-50 split between the fishery harbour centres and local authority marine infrastructure until a proper national assessment of needs is completed; 100% funding for all marine infrastructure projects, recognising their national importance; and a national framework that ensures every harbour, large or small, is safe, modern and fit for purpose.

We also need to address climate change as it is having a profound impact on Ireland’s harbours and coastal infrastructure. Rising sea levels, intensified storms and more frequent flooding events are already damaging vital port facilities and coastal defences. All over Ireland, harbours are experiencing increased erosion, structural damage to quays and slipways and siltation that hampers navigation and marine operations. These challenges threaten not only our maritime heritage, but also critical sectors such as fishing, aquaculture, tourism and trade, all of which are industries that sustain coastal communities and contribute significantly to the national economy. Local authorities and harbour boards are facing costs for repairs, maintenance and emergency works following extreme weather events.

To safeguard all these assets, we must prioritise investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and adaptive coastal management. This includes strengthening breakwaters, modernising drainage and flood protection systems and integrating climate change risk assessments into all future harbour development plans. Furthermore, we must trust our policies are adequately resourced and implemented at local level to ensuring a consistent, science-based approach is undertaken. By taking decisive action now, we can protect our harbours, not only as centres of economic activity but as lifelines for our coastal communities, ensuring they remain safe, functional and sustainable for generations to come.

This is about fairness. It is about recognising that the vibrancy and sustainability of coastal communities depend on investment in the infrastructure they use every day, and not just in the six harbours managed by the Department. Let us ensure the smaller harbours, the beating hearts of so many coastal towns and villages, finally get their fair share. However, this will be completely useless if our fisheries sector is wiped out. Overfishing and the management of our shared marine resources, which have been ongoing issues for years, have already been addressed by previous speakers. Yet, despite years of engagement and submissions, the fishing sector now faces an unprecedented crisis. If we account for the cumulative cutbacks, Ireland’s seafood industry could face losses of up to €200 million next year, and conservative estimates suggest 2,000 jobs could be at risk. The impact on coastal and fishing communities would be devastating.

I thank the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, which got in touch with my office yesterday regarding the seriousness of the situation. The latest scientific advice for 2026 paints a deeply worrying picture. Drastic catch reductions are being recommended, including 70% in mackerel, 41% in whiting and 22% in boarfish, with zero catches for cod, haddock and whiting. If these cuts are implemented, the implications will be severe. The economic viability of the Irish catching sector will be in jeopardy and fish processors will be starved of raw materials, particularly in the pelagic sector, where closures could occur. The service industries that depend on fishing will also be hit, affecting livelihoods right across our coastal communities. To put this into perspective, the loss of income from these cuts could exceed €60 million compared to 2024.

Around 200 fishermen's jobs would be directly at risk. When we add the quota transfers to the UK from Brexit, Ireland's mackerel quota will have fallen by 85% since 2022. Mackerel alone was valued at €82 million in 2024, our most valuable fish stock for both catching and processing. To manage this crisis, the sector will urgently need cash resources to reduce pressure on quotas and share limited fishing opportunities fairly throughout the year. Unlike the Brexit schemes, these supports must be linked to the processing sector to avoid repeating past mistakes that left processors stranded without supply. The processing industry employs 3,800 people across 91 companies and has already been struggling since Brexit. Further cuts in 2026 could force closures.

This is not sustainable, economically, socially or politically. The EU's management of these resources must respect scientific limits but also fairness. Ireland has consistently been on the losing side of these negotiations. We cannot continue to lose. The term "economic Armageddon" was used in the fisheries committee only last week. This is not an exaggeration; it is reality for our fishing sector. I am calling for a comprehensive support framework for the catching and processing sectors to be designed and delivered. Ireland's fishing and seafood industries are the lifeblood of many of our coastal communities. We must ensure their survival and sustainability.

I highlight the work of my colleague and party leader, Deputy Ivana Bacik, on the Dublin Bay Bill. This legislation would go a long way to protect biodiversity, enhance water quality and restore and regenerate amenities along our coastline.

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