Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Táim fíor-bhuíoch do Oifig an Cheann Chomhairle as ucht an seans a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar seo a phlé. Is onóir mhór dom bheith i mo Theachta Dála ar son mhuintir Chiarraí Theas. Tá mé fíor-bhuíoch do mhuintir Chiarraí Theas as an tacaíocht iontach a fuair mé san olltoghchán. Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall ar son mhuintir Chiarraí agus ar son mhuintir na hÉireann ar fad.

I also congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, on his recent appointment. I am sure he will do an excellent job in his new position. The issue I raise is of great importance to local fishermen in west Kerry who are being burdened with unreasonable charges for using Dingle Harbour. The charges arise from the recent implementation of the Fisheries Harbours Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2003. Of particular and immediate concern to a number of fishermen is charge No. 7, which relates to the use of a harbour by vessels not registered or licensed or deregistered hulks and derelicts.

One fisherman to whom I spoke recently has a vessel berthed at Dingle pier while he tries to sell it. The vessel was his only way of making a living for many years until salmon fishing ceased in 2007. Built in 1974, the vessel is perfectly seaworthy but between €10,000 and €12,000 would be required to bring it up to the required code of practice standard. As the vessel is not worth even the lower of these amounts, the owner decided to buy a new, smaller vessel and transfer the licence.

Since 1 January 2011, the owner has been incurring charges from the harbour board for having the older vessel berthed at Dingle pier. Thus far, these charges, which are solely for having the vessel berthed, have amounted to more than €3,000, a figure that will increase by €500 per week for as long as the vessel remains at the pier. Surely this is unjust given that the individuals in question have suffered a substantial loss in income in recent years.

I am informed that four fishermen who are trying to sell vessels berthed in Dingle are in a similar position to the fisherman whose case I outlined. They cannot move their vessels elsewhere as it would give rise to serious health and safety issues. If, for instance, they decided to move them to nearby facilities such as those at Ballydavid, they would have to berth the vessels at sea, which would present major difficulties during rough weather and storms.

This is a pressing problem for the fishermen in question because none of them can afford to pay the relatively large sums of money required to resolve the problem. Moreover, charges for vessels of more than 20 m can rise to more than €1,000 per week. I call on the Minister to review the current position to ensure that people who genuinely do not have any option other than to leave their vessels at Dingle pier will be shown some leeway.

There is also a problem with water and refuse charges at the harbour. I am advised that there is a mandatory annual water charge of €360 for those using the pier, although there is no tap there. Water is only accessible through calling an attendant at a charge of €25 per call-out. Local fishermen generally bring their own bottled water on board, yet they must still pay this charge. I am also advised that fishermen must pay a refuse charge of €480 per annum even though there is no facility for them at Dingle pier to dispose of rubbish. The fishermen in Dingle tell me that they bring their rubbish home, yet they must still pay the change. This does not seem like a fair system and surely it warrants review.

To add insult to injury, fishermen were recently issued with letters from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine informing them that those in arrears would be at the mercy of debt collectors from now on. This is an insult to the honest, hard-working fishermen in west Kerry. These charges are also an issue at other fishery harbour centres around our coasts, namely Killybegs, Castletownbere, Skerries, Rossaveal and Dunmore East.

While the figures I have mentioned are relatively small in the overall scheme of things, it is an enormous amount of money for the individuals involved. One man to whom I spoke recently told me he is having difficulty sleeping at night while charges continue to accrue concerning his vessel at Dingle pier. I ask the Minister of State to give this matter his urgent attention in order to resolve it.

Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney. I wish Deputy Griffin the best in his new portfolio and I hope that he will find something to work on in the following statement.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to deal with the issues raised by the Deputy concerning the difficulties being experienced by fishermen in west Kerry due to harbour charges at the Dingle fishery harbour centre. At the outset, I wish to outline the position with regard to my Department's responsibilities in relation to Dingle fishery harbour centre. The Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968, as amended, provided the legal framework for the establishment of the six fishery harbour centres, which are located at Killybegs, Rossaveal, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. The Act was designed to facilitate the promotion and development of sea fishing together with the processing, packaging and selling of fish.

Dingle fishery harbour centre has been the most recent addition to the fishery harbour centres covered under the 1968 Act, as amended. Prior to its designation as a fishery harbour centre, it had been under the control of the Dingle Harbour Commissioners. The harbour commissioners formally sought the designation of the harbour as a fishery harbour centre. In 2007, Mr. Noel Dempsey, the then Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, issued the Fishery Harbour Centre (An Daingean) Order 2007, which effectively gave fishery harbour centre status to Dingle, as set out in the Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968, as amended.

With regard to the fishery harbour centres generally, I am happy to say that my Department has in recent, and not so recent, years invested substantially in the upgrade and development of the facilities available to the fishing fleet at the fishery harbour centres, as we strive to bring the standard of facilities available up to a level comparable with the best available anywhere. This investment continues and I can confirm that in excess of €10 million has been allocated to the fishery harbours and coastal infrastructure development capital programme for 2011.

The Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968 sets out clearly the mechanism to be employed in funding the day-to-day operational costs of the fishery harbour centres. All income received at each of the six fishery harbour centres is effectively lodged to what is known as the fishery harbour centres fund. That fund is, in fact, the only source of income available to fund the day-to-day operational and management costs at each of the fishery harbour centres.

Examples of regular expenditure that come to mind include harbour master and staff wages, electricity and fuel costs, cleaning and maintenance, etc. All income lodged to the fishery harbour centres fund is invested directly back into the fishery harbour centres.

The main source of income at each of the fishery harbour centres is from all users of harbour facilities, including fishermen availing of the facilities provided. The charges levied on fishermen who use any of the six the fishery harbour centres are set out in the Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2003. These charges are consistent from harbour to harbour and all income received is invested directly back in the fishery harbour centres through the fishery harbour centres fund.

The rates and charges order was published in 2003 and while I am cognisant of the current economic situation, I must also point out that there has been no increase in the charges levied since 2003. I can confirm, however, that my Department is currently engaged in a review of the rates and charges order and is working to balance the economic conditions faced by fishermen with the need to continue with the provision of all necessary services at the fishery harbour centres.

On finalisation of the draft revised rates and charges order, my Department will arrange for its publication. In addition, a public consultation process will afford all stakeholders the opportunity to comment on, and provide an input to, the proposed revised charges. My Department will welcome any submissions and observations from fishermen in west Kerry and, indeed, all fishermen and harbour users.

On a more general note, my Department facilitates a regular harbour users forum at Dingle fishery harbour centre. This forum is well attended and provides for representation of all the various harbour users, including fishermen. My Department welcomes all comments and suggestions in relation to the management and development of the harbour at the forum.