Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I welcome the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. To be honest, I am not an expert on marine mapping and the expert back-up parliamentary research team that conducted all of my research on this consisted of myself as the rest of the team was off.

The national marine mapping project is putting together a database of critical knowledge and this knowledge is critical for a number of reasons. On previous occasions I would have made the point that the fact that we do not have a senior Minister or Department for the marine sends out the wrong message about how we do our marine business. Responsibility for the marine is spread across a number of Departments. Deputy Ryan is one of several Ministers who have come to the House to discuss various aspects of marine legislation as we have had the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Minister for Transport and now we have the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. In the interests of joined-up thinking in the Civil Service I would have called before the current budgetary difficulties for a Minister with responsibility for the marine. As an island nation we send the wrong signal by not having a Cabinet Minister responsible for the marine. I recognise the obvious difficulties in realising that vision now. Nonetheless, it was a backward step to row back on the Department of the Marine, as the previous Government did. The marine sector is worth almost €3 billion per annum to the economy. It is a huge source of revenue, whether through fishing, shipping or leisure activities.

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, is familiar with south-west Cork. The INFOMAR programme began in Dunmanus Bay and is now moving towards Galway. It is important not just from an academic point of view but also for the people of the area, whether coastal management committees under the auspices of various local authorities, fisheries managers or aquaculture operators, and others to which it intends to deliver a range of useful data products, for example, cable and pipeline installation, coastal zone management, renewable energy, coastal engineering, foreshore licensing, inshore fisheries, port security and safety, oil and gas exploration, shipping and navigation. We spent many evenings in this House debating the Harbours (Amendment) Bill introduced by the Minister for Transport. It led to one of the recent record filibusters in the House because there was an issue about the control of ports and Bantry Harbour being subsumed under the Port of Cork. We are very proud of the organisations in that part of west Cork.

Fisheries and the marine are sectors in which we can re-boot the rural economy. They are almost revenue neutral from the Government's point of view. In recent years fishermen's organisations have lobbied most Members because the industry is on its knees, not through lack of demand but because of regulation, control and legislation that has gone mad. The sea-fisheries legislation imposes severe restrictions and sanctions on those found guilty of breaking these laws. In most other European countries they would face administrative sanctions. Frequently, however, off the coast of west cork the existing powers allow the authorities to seize equipment and the catch and bring fishermen to the Circuit Court. The legislation has criminalised an entire industry or profession. We need to consider this issue realistically and switch from criminal to administrative sanctions.

The Government must make a decision about the next European Commissioner. There is a great deal of debate about who that will be. Many names are in play and I have no difficulty with any of them. They are all very fine, able people. We could rest assured knowing that they would do a fine job in any Commission in any area but we should chase the fisheries Commissionership. It is of great importance to the country and we need to take the matter seriously. I have listened to the fears, concerns and reservations of those involved in the industry. To do this would send a strong message. We cannot provide a Cabinet Minister but we need to seek a Commissioner in that area from among the very fine candidates mooted by political and non-political sources.

I submitted a motion to be considered on the Adjournment three weeks ago about an issue affecting the coast of west Cork that is stifling marine activity. The sea lettuce off the south west coast which is particularly bad off Inchydoney Island is an environmental mess and causing unquantifiable damage to that area. That Adjournment matter was ruled out of order on the same morning that another Senator's Adjournment matter about a water quality issue in Bantry was accepted. I was told the Minister had no jurisdiction over the matter I had raised. I attended a meeting about the Courtmacsherry sewerage scheme and lobbied the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, during the summer. Senator Boyle must be aware of that issue too. It is incredible that I can table a matter for discussion on the Adjournment that is ruled out of order and then find that the county manager has established a task force which includes representatives from the Department. Either we have jurisdiction over this issue or we do not.

There is a total lack of joined-up cohesive thinking about the marine. One of the biggest mistakes we make is not to have a Minister with responsibility for the marine. It is not good enough to scatter these responsibilities to the four winds. I do not know if the decision on the new Commissioner has been made. I am not privy to Cabinet discussions but I urge the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to ensure we go after this Commissionship because it is just as important that we seek it as we find a person to fill the position.