Mark Duffy (Fine Gael)

First, I welcome my friend from Castlebar and colleague in Fine Gael, Councillor Donna Sheridan, who is in the Gallery.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I thank him for his engagement and work done to date. It is great to see a Ministry for fisheries. As previous speakers have outlined, including an impassioned contribution by Senator Manus Boyle, there is an awful lot that needs to be done to fight the corner for Irish fisheries at a European level.

The hook and line mackerel policy is an issue of concern, particularly in my home county of Mayo. Currently, less than 1% of the overall Irish mackerel quota allocation is allocated to hook and line mackerel fishing. That 1% is shared among approximately 1,500 vessels. The remaining 99% is shared between 50 vessels. That shows the huge disparity and inequity which explains the frustration being felt by 1,500 operators of hook and line mackerel boats. We need to recalibrate the allocation. I understand it is in the gift of the Minister of State to reorientate that so there is more justice and fairness shown to the 1,500 vessel owners across Ireland who feel unfairly treated with the current distribution of the quota.

Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy states that quotas should be shared out on a viable and sustainable basis. As we know, hook and line mackerel fishing is a very sustainable practice. I know that the people who have raised this issue with me feel a huge frustration and sense of injustice in terms of the allocation of quotas. I am also aware of their passion for continuing the practice for the benefit of the next generation. There is a huge depth of history and heritage in each of the fishing communities that span the Mayo coastline and the Irish coastline. All of that needs to be protected and supported into the future. I would really appreciate the Minister of State's support in considering it. It could have a huge impact on the hook and line sector. The fishermen made the point that if they cannot catch the quota they are given, it can be reallocated to the bigger operators of the 50 vessels. There are, however, 1,500 small operators who ask for a little bit more and the 50 larger operators can have any excess quota. That is a fair ask. I know there has been lots of advocacy on this issue. The pen in the Minister of State's hand could make all the difference and have a huge positive impact on the hook and line mackerel sector. I would appreciate if he gave this matter his consideration.

The maintenance of harbours and piers in the country, including in Mayo, is an issue that I raised recently in the Seanad. Basic maintenance is an issue that should not percolate all the way to Oireachtas levels but, unfortunately, it has. There should be a service level agreement in place that ensures councils are accountable, maintain harbours and piers, and that there is a rolling fund to support the repair of harbours and piers following instances of deterioration and storm damage. It should not take such efforts of advocacy to get small jobs done. Plus, maintaining piers and slipways is really important from a safety point of view.

I am here to support to work with and support the Minister of State in his work. I hope he will be able to help on this specific issue. If he can, I would really appreciate it on behalf of the fisheries. We need to all work together across the House to fight with the Minister of State in fighting the Irish corner at a European level because there are huge challenges and we should do that constructively. I hope the Minister of State can support my ask today.