Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, knows, I was born and reared in a coastal location, that is, the beautiful Rossbeigh beach in Glenbeigh, County Kerry, which forms part of Castlemaine Harbour, adjacent to Dingle Harbour, and includes places like Cromane, which is steeped in the history and culture of fishing. They are leaders in the art of aquaculture there. Companies in Cromane and many more throughout the country, including County Kerry, such as Dingle Seafood, Quinlan's in Cahersiveen and Kenmare and companies from Bantry Bay all the way up to the top of Donegal, supply their wares all over Ireland and different parts of Europe, including France, Italy, Holland, Spain and Germany. Exports also go to Asian countries, such as China, Hong Kong and Thailand, as well as the UK and the United States. They regularly feature on the podium of Bord Bia quality awards, showing how well regarded they are in the industry and by the accommodation and hospitality sector. Cromane mussels and oysters are famous not just here at home but all over the world.

It is the same for all our coastal communities throughout the land as the produce of the Irish aquaculture industry is much sought after by clients at home and abroad. We pride ourselves on the quality of what we produce, supply and export. We pride ourselves on the top-class companies we have. I am flabbergasted by even the thought that aquaculture licences for oysters, mussels and clams, and you could even include salmon as well, can take so long - for example, two, five, ten, 15 or anything up to 20 years. I would be very interested to know how such a scenario could come about. Is it a fault in the application system itself? Is it a computer error or deficiency? Is it a lack of manpower? I am very slow to ask, but is there a deficiency in the training of those who are assigned the task of passing judgment on these applications? Is there an unwillingness to grant more licences? This incredible waiting list is putting at risk businesses and livelihoods that are the lifeblood of our coastal communities. There must be a reason for the delay. Applicants absolutely need to know what chance their application has of succeeding and how long their business hopes and dreams may have to wait.

I have been raising this issue for many years as a member of Kerry County Council and, more recently, since I became a Member of Dáil Éireann. The Minister of State must agree that waiting up to 20 years to get the go-ahead for your businesses or for the local firm that will give you and your family members employment is totally unacceptable. We must find the reason this has happened in order that we can correct it and bring all the fine aquaculture operators on our Irish coastline, from Castletownbere to Killybegs, into the market without further delay. Young fishermen and fisherwomen can earn a decent living, build that family home, buy a car, live in their own communities and contribute to everyday life in historical fishing communities where there is no other form of employment. If, however, they have to wait years to have an aquaculture licence processed, they will bail out, many to foreign shores, never to return.

As the Minister of State is aware, I had a number of cases where fishermen and small companies submitted applications when their existing licences were due to expire. Grant aid was available to expand their businesses and they had shovel-ready projects. However, their applications were not processed on time and the projects fell by the wayside. These fishers - men and women - are very annoyed by the manner in which they have been treated by the Department. We must address these deficiencies, get our act together and get to the root of the problem. As I said, I have raised this issue numerous times. We simply must get it right.

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