Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I commend the Minister of State on his ongoing efforts on behalf of the fishing industry. This is an extremely important industry in my area. I am sure he has heard about the need to complete the harbour in Greencastle. I encourage him to take the right option by completing the harbour breakwater and restoring the historic shore walk which was closed during the harbour's reconstruction.

I acknowledge the recent deaths of two fishermen, Eddie Doherty and Robert McLaughlin. The trauma that has been visited on fishing communities around the country is only partially helped by the efforts of the Irish Coast Guard and volunteer rescue services. The co-operation in evidence for several weeks is testament to the closeness of people in fishing communities. It would be encouraging if a mechanism could be found to speed up marine accident investigations, which often take up to three years.

My area has seen the loss of onshore jobs as well as employment in fisheries. The change in the salmon regime has had a significant impact on fishing. When I was first elected the major issue for the industry was the fact that boats were 15 to 20 years old. We successfully fought for the renewal of the whitefish fleet but unfortunately many of these boats have had to be sold due to the change in quotas. The retention of what we have is thanks to the efforts of the Minister of State. The week before Christmas was always the period I hated most because I was inevitably hauled in by the fishermen of Greencastle to be told what was wrong about the conclusions to the negotiations. This year I suspect I will be lectured about the 25% reduction in the Irish Sea quota.

Our decisions must be based on scientific data. Fishermen will admit that much of the small fry caught in the past should have been allowed to escape. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the situation is better than some would claim. It is important that we are able to adapt to new scientific information as it becomes available. If fish were not there they would not be caught but the issue of discarding catches has to be addressed. It is a scandal that dead fish are being thrown back into the water to be fed to nothing.

The current quota will be worth €223 million, of which €116 million will be for the whitefish quota and €54 million for prawns. That money will benefit my area. The 10% increase in the mackerel quota will probably benefit Killybegs more but I hope there are opportunities for local boats to draw down days at sea for research activities with the Marine Institute.

Responsibility for the marine is spread across six or seven Departments and agencies. How is the co-ordinating group managing these functions?

I see great potential for the industry. People who have been laid off from the construction sector have great skills for making things and they want to work outside. McDonalds, a company which has built boats in Greencastle for several generations can offer employment opportunities to people who are skilled with their hands. We should give them these options and support them. There is Leader funding for this but how do we awaken this interest in people that there are jobs there?

There is twining project potential. Recently, someone showed me a Norwegian explorer's boat. It was absolutely identical to boats built by McDonald's in Greencastle during the years. There must have been some connection at some point. We should try to link up different countries in mutually interesting projects.

I refer to added value on shore. Many industries have closed in my area. I do not believe it was due to a lack of potential. Perhaps the reduction in the minimum wage will change things in terms of competitiveness. However, we are still sending too much raw material abroad and are not adding the value to it in our own area and getting the economic return from it.

I mention the management plans, supporting fishermen and listening to their advice. We have talked about industry-led research. In the coming years, the Clipper Race will stopover in the north west. There will be another stopover prior to that on the Foyle. There is much potential in terms of marine tourism. I could talk to the Minister of State about marine tourism potential but he might say that is for the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport or the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport. We need to tie up the potential because it is considerable. We will not be thanked in the future if we do not try to maximise our potential.

I could speak for half a day on the Foyle Fisheries Commission. It is very important we try to expand the facilities and capacity it has and revamp it. There might have been a submission to the St. Andrews Agreement review. Currently, even if we give aquaculture licences, the Crown Estate can potentially make a claim on who gets a licence or who does not. All activity on the Foyle, whether planning permission or otherwise, should come under the remit of one agency so there is continuity, co-ordination and a realistic approach.

I commend the Minister of State and do not underestimate the tough time he has. I agree with Senator Coffey that we should start to see increases in our quota at some point given that this is an island nation. The Common Fisheries Policy will have to yield that to Ireland. I could say so much more on the topic. Although it seems only a limited number of Senators are interested in this topic, those who are here recognise that this is a vital cog in terms of our economic potential which is unrealised in many respects.