Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have previously raised the issue of the ownership of Lough Foyle. Recently, RTE "Prime Time" broadcast an excellent report into what has emerged with regard to oyster farms. We have 30,000 trestles along the shores of Lough Foyle which have no licence and do not require one. It is a Klondike with no regulation. I appeal to the Government and the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to engage with the British Government as soon as possible to resolve the ownership of Lough Foyle, which is allowing this farce to continue. The statement from James Brokenshire, that the whole of Lough Foyle is within the United Kingdom, has not been retracted. I ask for focus on this issue and I ask the Leader to contact the Minister Foreign Affairs and Trade to make him aware and ask him to respond to the issues raised in the excellent report on RTE "Prime Time".

A related issue is the concern of the fish producers and processors which was articulated this week at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Their presentation was stark with regard to the impact of Brexit and the taking into control of what were British waters and which have been shared EU waters for all these years. The impact this will have on our fishing sector is the most worrying I have seen from any sector in society so far. I ask the Leader to bring this presentation to the attention of not only the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine but also the Taoiseach. It will have very serious implications.The British are claiming control of Lough Foyle so it is related.

I support the points made about local improvement schemes. There is a huge gap in rural Ireland in terms of supporting the funding. Anyone who knows rural Ireland knows that one needs to put some sort of subsidy towards the maintenance of these roads. The removal of this has had a detrimental impact and it needs to be reintroduced at the earliest opportunity.