Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Deputy Leader to support the demand made my colleague from Cork, Senator Lombard, for extra funding to address the severe flooding we endured in places like Bantry and Skibbereen, not once but twice last year, and which cost millions of euro.

I raise a matter related to fishing, which is close to my heart. It concerns an application for funding to carry out a development options report for Keelbeg pier in Union Hall in west Cork. Cork County Council is frustrated. Its management, engineers and all of its councillors have unanimously sought €200,000, which is not a huge amount of money, to carry out a feasibility study of developing the pier. Union Hall has one of the biggest fish landing ports in the country, although it is not as large as the port in Castletownbere. Some €12 million worth of fish was landed at Union Hall last year. There is congestion and traffic jams on the pier as boats try to land their catches. It is a pretty old pier which needs some attention.

The discussion on this matter was the first time I saw the county manager and senior engineers of Cork County Council in total agreement with councillors that something must be done. I hope to table a Commencement matter on this issue but it is one that should be dealt with. The amount of money involved is not great. Before any major work can be done on the pier, an initial development options report must be done. To put it in context, Union Hall has more fish landings than Baltimore, Kinsale and Ballycotton combined. Some €12 million worth of fish, mainly whitefish, demersal fish, were landed at Union Hall last year, which was a major boost to the area. Fishermen and the fishing industry are under great pressure. I hope something can be done.