Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I seek a debate on the fishing industry. I recognise that we will have a busy schedule until Christmas, but perhaps when we return in the new year, the Leader will set aside time some afternoon to discuss the current status of the fishing industry, particularly in the light of the ongoing review of the Common Fisheries Policy. My colleagues may not be aware that Iceland and the Faroe Islands are catching ten times the amount of mackerel Ireland is entitled to fish, even though this is an EU member state. I am shocked to think our quotas may be further reduced next week.

Reference was made to community spirit. I welcome what the IFA is trying to do in rural Ireland in terms of assisting local authorities to grit roads. It is perplexing that local authorities are refusing generous offers from organisations such as Macra na Feirme and the IFA on the grounds of a lack of insurance.

Groups such as the IFA and Macra na Feirme should be lauded and encouraged rather than discouraged for lending assistance to people in remote rural areas who need it in this difficult economic climate and these appalling weather conditions.

I call for a debate on the fishing industry in the aftermath of the Common Fisheries Policy as I am deeply concerned about the implications of this for the Irish fishing industry and our coastal communities. I also call for a debate on the agriculture industry particularly bearing in mind that if this inclement weather continues for several weeks, farming provisions will run out early in the spring, which is a frightening scenario. Neither the farmers nor the fishermen benefited from the Celtic tiger but these are the communities, particularly the farming sector, who can be the backbone of the recovery of this economy.