Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)

I wish to be associated with the welcome to the Clonakilty women's shed group and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Sullivan. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, in his new role. It is clear that he is hitting the ground running. I welcome his officials. I will address what the Minister of State finished on relating to the new fisheries EU-UK agreement and that 12-year extension. Fianna Fáil welcomes that agreement. The party also welcomes these statements on this important sector. Ireland's waters are one of the most valuable natural resources. We have a coastline of 7,500 km, making it one of the longest in the European Union. It is something that the EU needs to be reminded of now and again. Fianna Fáil deeply values the role of fisheries in our economy and in the communities which rely on this activity for their livelihood. That is why, since re-entering Government in 2020, through the Minister of State and the previous Minister, Deputy McConalogue, we have invested more than €180 million in the seafood sector and €50 million in local piers and harbours. Those moneys have been very well spent. I can vouch for the moneys that were spent in County Donegal. Rathmullan was recently opened. That pier needed works for many years and even decades, and it was similarly with the one beside me in Portsalon. Those moneys were very welcome and useful.

During the previous Government term, Fianna Fáil advocated successfully for a full re-evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy. In this term, it is important we continue to stand up for fisheries in quota negotiations to return the maximum yield while maintaining stock levels according to the latest scientific evidence. It is important to keep in the back of our minds the difficulties faced by the inshore fishermen and their quota levels. Importantly, as promised in Fianna Fáil's 2024 general election manifesto, we have re-established the role of the Minister of State for fisheries and the marine. We know the Minister of State is working to support our fisheries and aquaculture sectors and to balance the need for economic development with environmental protection to bring about a sustainable and prosperous future for all our coastal communities.

As the Minister of State rightly said, Brexit has been a difficult time for our fishermen. A lot of progress has been made. The Minister of State has allocated €4.33 million for 57 local authority projects across 11 coastal local authorities. He allocated €27.75 million for capital projects in the State-owned fishery harbour centres at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. The Minister of State launched the €15 million fisheries local action groups coastal communities development scheme 2025–2029, to support coastal areas' economic development. He also opened the small craft harbour building at Ros an Mhíl. This is all very welcome, but it is clear there is a lot more to do. As far as the programme for Government commitments are concerned, we were successful in getting a Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries. We committed to the publishing of a five-year fisheries sector strategy that will include an examination of the processing sector. We also committed to continue to support and promote investments in fisheries and aquaculture and examine incentives for fishers to land their catch in Irish ports, with a view to supporting the domestic processing sector. Again, we keep in mind the inshore fishers.

A fight is needed at EU level for Common Fisheries Policy reforms to ensure fairer quotas for Irish fishers and due recognition to be given to the proportion of fish species caught in Irish waters. We need to promote the sustainability of fish stocks while ensuring sufficient supply of species to allow fishers into the future to derive a fair return. We need to liaise with fishing stakeholders - I know the Minister of State has started off well in doing this - and request that Revenue examine the current tax allowances for the sector and bring forward recommendations on how the taxation system can further support its progression. We need to explore fleet adjustment measures and consider any changes, given the ever-evolving scientific advice on fish stocks, and support the seafood and offshore renewable energy working group in providing an important bridge to facilitate discussion on issues arising from the interaction of these sectors, and encourage open dialogue between stakeholders. That is a part of the brief that was not big on the agenda for a Minister in the past.

It is really important that all of this island now gets the opportunities to explore and develop our offshore wind potential, particularly as regards the north west. I am informed that off the north-west coast is deemed the second most powerful potential site in the world. It is really important, as regards the ESB and the potential to carry any new power coming in from those sites, that plans are in place to ensure we have sufficient capacity in the network to carry that power. I know that is outside the Minister of State's brief, but his work in that regard would be a waste of time if those plans were not now put in place. We need to defend Irish fishing interests ahead of the 2026 review of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement and in discussions on third countries, work at EU level to increase supports to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, and ensure the promotion of marine education courses and degree programmes with a view to increasing enrolments. That also applies to offshore renewables and the potential for fishers to evolve into that field.

We need to ensure the diversification of coastal economies and establish new openings beyond traditional industries support coastal communities towards benefiting from the development of offshore renewable projects, and review and strengthen conservation measures for marine ecosystems and wildlife. We will also expand marine protected areas and establish wildlife sanctuaries. We need to continue to support the sustainable development of our aquaculture sector and modernise and streamline aquaculture licensing in the State through legislative changes. The previous Government did a good bit of work on that. I know that many extra staff have been put in the different sections to help streamline those applications. We need to set up a maritime regeneration, development and conservation fund, which will support harbours, marinas and tourism development as well as actions to address coastal erosion. My county is a little bit like the Minister of State's in that coastal erosion is quite an issue. I remember back in the days when I was a young councillor - and the Minister of State may have served with us at the time - that the former Minister of State, Hugh Byrne, had an exceptional fund which was used to great effect in rock-armouring a lot of the coastal erosion. We have moved away from that, and it is a sad day because a lot of our coastline has been destroyed as a result of erosion. We cannot hold back the tide without proper rock-armouring.

The other area we could do more on relates to the tourism end and development of marinas. Anywhere marinas have been developed over the years, it has brought tourism onto a completely different level. While marinas are seen to be very expensive to develop, we can float offshore wind, and I come at this as someone with an engineering background, so there has to be a simpler and less expensive way of floating marinas in our harbours, where there is much less tidal difficulty to deal with. There have to be better solutions than those currently available.

I wish the Minister of State well. He faces many difficulties but we have every trust in him. We are aware of his work ethic and we will support him to the best of our ability.