Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

I endorse the motion and thank the Fine Gael Senators for bringing such an important motion to the floor of the Upper House. I also thank the Minister of State for attending. However, I fear the motion does not go far enough. I support the Sinn Féin motions as well. My amendment speaks to the concerns consistently raised by fishers regarding the operational approach, transparency and consistency of enforcement by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. Fishermen across the country feel like they are standing on the deck of a sinking ship waiting for the industry they love to quietly disappear. Communities that thrived on fishing are now barely hanging on. I welcome the points raised in this motion, but it does not go far enough. It would be a disservice to every inshore and offshore fisherman if we fail to name one of the core issues staring them in the face. Those are the practices of the SFPA. This amendment simply recognises what the fishermen have been saying for years. There are serious concerns about the operational approach, transparency and consistency of enforcement by the authority. While the authority issues polished press releases proudly announcing the continued monitoring of inshore vessels to support conservation methods, inshore fishermen are fighting for a fairer quota just to survive. We support conservation efforts but we cannot see fishing communities themselves driven out of existence. The fishing community has no issue with regulations but the questionable practices of the SFPA are an issue. Recently a ten-year case was thrown out of court due to lack of evidence. The NSAI found that an officer of the SFPA allegedly tampered with evidence, which ultimately led to a wrong finding. After a ten-year legal battle, there was no comeback for that business or that family. We cannot keep ignoring the lived reality of fishermen who feel policed out of existence rather than supported. This amendment insists that their voices, frustrations and concerns be recognised in this House and acted upon. This amendment is crucial in ensuring fishing communities know that we hear their concerns and are willing to stand with them.

I will speak to amendment No. 5, to "review the governance, operational practices, and accountability structures of the [SFPA], and bring forward proposals to strengthen independent oversight and improve transparency and engagement with the fishing sector". If we are serious about securing the future of Irish fishing, we cannot continue pretending that all is well within the governance and accountability structures of the SFPA. I am saddened to say it, but the unwillingness to make the SFPA accountable is because the Minister and the Department do not want any culpability for their actions. With respect to the Minister of State, the previous Minister of agriculture, in particular, responded to criticism of the SFPA by throwing his hands up and saying it was an independent body and nothing to do with him. We had the chair of the SFPA before the fisheries committee last week and question after question put to him went unanswered. When I pressed him on whom he was accountable to, he said he was accountable to our committee. However, he answered no questions. It would have been laughable if it were not so serious. A regulator with enormous power over people's livelihoods should not be a law unto itself. I call on the Government to commit to a full review of the governance, operational practices and accountability of the SFPA and to bring forward concrete proposals to strengthen independent oversight and to improve transparency engagement with the sector. This amendment is about rebalancing the system, so fishers are treated with fairness, respect and transparency.