Manus Boyle (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Minister for the marine to come into the House to give us an update on what is going on in the fishing sector. I come from rural Donegal and fishing is a major employer in rural communities all over Ireland, from Killybegs down as far as Casltetownbere and straight across to Waterford and Wexford. As of now, at the end of the month, all our mackerel is caught. Our boats will be tied up for ten months of the year. Our crews are home now, trying to get more employment. Most of them are heading away to England to try to get on offshore wind farms. We need the Minister to come in and tell us what his plans are for the next year moving forward. We need to be in touch with Europe and we need to get our MEPs working hard to try to secure more quota for the Irish fishing industry. We have factories lying empty for ten months of the year, and then when they try to get workers, they are not there. I would like the Minister to come in and give us an update on what is going on.