Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support what Senator Ó Clochartaigh said in respect of asylum seekers and the ban on their being canvassed by the political parties. In many parts of the country local election candidates of all persuasions have organised meetings outside direct provision centres and these have proven to be very successful. The ban is unacceptable, however. In the previous local elections in 2009, certain candidates were granted access to the centres. That is all I will say on the matter for now.

I wish to bring to the attention of the House an issue that has been raised with me in recent days by the snap net fishermen who operate on the River Suir. For those who may not know, snap net fishermen work in teams of four on small boats approximately 18 ft long and known as cots. There are usually two fishermen per cot and they spread a net across the river, generally on the tide, between two cots. They only fish during certain months. This year, however, Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, has prevented fishing on the River Suir because it states that the numbers of fish counted in previous years were so low. According to the snap net fishermen to whom I refer, the IFI has agreed with them that the counts of salmon on the River Suir were actually inaccurate. I am of the view, therefore, that the fishermen cannot be prevented from operating on the basis of such counts. This issue has been ongoing for some years but matters have come to a head this year because the fishermen have been completely banned from the river. The tradition of snap net fishing dates back more than 1,000 years. It is no longer a commercial enterprise. Rather, those involved are merely maintaining the tradition to which I refer on the Suir and also on the River Nore and the River Barrow. I request that the Leader invite the Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy O'Dowd, who has responsibility for inland fisheries, to come before the House for a debate on this matter in order that we might obtain some degree of clarity.

We cannot allow men to be prevented from engaging in fishing based on the provision of inaccurate information.