Seanad debates

Thursday, 16 July 2020

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Tim LombardTim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It has been a turbulent week in Irish politics. I welcome the appointment of the new Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It is a very important brief and he is going to face many challenges. I acknowledge the role he is going to play in what is a vital sector for Ireland.

I spent most of yesterday in Castletownbere meeting fishermen. I met the Castletownbere Fishermen's Co-operative Society and the south west producers. There is great uncertainty within that sector. It is important that the new Minister goes to Castletownbere to meet these fishermen who have major concerns when it comes to Brexit in particular. If there is a displacement of major fleets into Irish waters, they want to know how they will survive. They are also concerned about the Covid issue and the price of fish, which has fallen by nearly 65% in the past four months, with a complete knock-on effect for the entire industry. Castletownbere also has probably the biggest port development in southern Ireland. It is a €30 million project and the contractors went off site last week. There are major issues regarding the fishing industry, particularly in the south of the country. The Minister's brief is such a large one. It takes in food, agriculture and the marine. It is so important that we get it right. The knock-on effects of getting it wrong will be very bleak for rural Ireland and for coastal communities. I invite the Minister to come to Castletownbere, meet the fishermen and the Castletownbere Fishermen's Co-operative Society and have an engagement on how we can move forward to develop the fishing industry in Ireland.

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