Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)

As a first time TD, I meet many people across many different sectors. Meeting those people, particularly volunteers in various groups and organisations, and learning from them is possibly one of the best parts of this job. In August this year, fisheries, the importance of fish, wildlife and our rivers landed on my desk. To be totally honest with everyone in this House, I knew very little about fish, wildlife and our rivers, despite living in and being from Mallow, which the River Blackwater flows through. The River Blackwater was the scene of the greatest fish kill ever seen in this country. In excess of 40,000 fish were killed by a chemical irritant. The cross-party agency group came to a conclusion that no definite source could be found.

I again thank the Minister of State for coming to Mallow. The people of the town appreciate that. The Minister of State well knows that the fish kill caused significant hurt and anger in my home town and its environs. To get this conclusion is a cause for significant and serious concern. Following the joint committee on the environment meeting, I am shocked to hear IFI chairperson and the workers themselves believe that they do not have strong enough enforcement powers within their organisation to stop companies, individuals or State agencies from polluting our rivers. My understanding is that the Minister of State, his Department and IFI have begun conversations to give IFI further enforcement powers but my firm belief is that that must be sped up or more events like what we saw on the Blackwater in August will continue to happen across this country.

The essential issue that members of our communities have, which they have directed at me even though I am not even in government, is that there is a serious lack of accountability when it comes to protecting our environment and pollution in our environment. If we are serious about protecting our environment, rivers, fish and wildlife, enforcement powers must be increased. EPA licences must be withdrawn if constant pollution happens, because I can think of a number of organisations, private and public, which have polluted rivers in and around my own town of Mallow for many years, and which are making millions of euro in profit, that continue to pollute. My firm belief is that the reason for that is that it will cost them far less to take the slap on the wrist and the few thousand euro of a fine than to put in the infrastructure.

I thank the Minister of State again for visiting Mallow. He is well aware of the fishermen he met that day and the significant hurt and anger that continue to be felt. It does not matter whether I am in the Opposition or the Government, the lack of accountability remains an issue for the people in Mallow. I ask the Minister of State to speed up those conversations that have begun with IFI and give it those enforcement powers because unless we do that, events like that on the Blackwater will continue to happen on our waterways across this country.

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