asked the Minister for Fisheries if he is aware that the lack of marine services on the west coast is a hindrance to the efficient operation of this country's fishing fleet; and if his Department have any plans to remedy this unsatisfactory situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishing Industry.
17.
I am not so aware and, therefore, the second part of the question does not arise.
Is the Minister aware that, in the case of trawlers operating from Galway or Mayo, if repairs are needed for echo sounders or matters of that type, and even in the case of the breakdown, it has been found necessary to have the trawlers towed either to Killybegs, or Dingle, or Baltimore for repairs?
Boat repair facilities are provided for hull and machinery repair for big and small vessels at the board's boatyards at Killybegs, Dingle and Baltimore. Similar activities are also provided at a private boat yard at Mevagh, County Donegal. The marine coast radio stations at Valentia and Malin Head are the responsibility of the Minister for Transport and Power but are available for communication in the event of a trawler breaking down. In 1973, the Taoiseach opened the Decca navigating system. This electronic aid enables fishermen on the west coast to pinpoint their position at sea with complete accuracy, and thus return with the minimum of effort to the most profitable fishing grounds on the second occasion. The segment of the system to assist fishermen off the west coast of Ireland—other coasts were covered by an overspill from the British network—was formally commissioned on 31st May, 1973, and has been fully operational since. The Irish segment consists of a master station at Rinville, Oranmore, County Galway, and subsidiary "slave" stations located at Falchorrib, Dungloe, County Donegal, Ballydavid, Dingle, County Kerry, and Ardmore, County Waterford.
The Minister has actually borne out what I said in my question. There is no area between Killybegs and Dingle——
A question please.
I am about to ask a question. Would the Minister let us know what his Department are doing about trying to provide slipways, and so on, to help fishermen on the west coast who have not got the facility of having repairs carried out when they have a breakdown.
The marine coast radio stations—and I have done it myself—at Valentia and Malin Head can provide a telephone call immediately to the fishermen's home or to anybody who is going to repair his boat through the ordinary coastal services. At that point in time, a trawler can take off from any of the three positions I have outlined and, on the basis of approximately three to five hours steaming, be with the trawler in trouble. and get that trawler out of trouble. That is a complete coverage of the situation as far as trawlers are concerned.
Is the Minister saying it is a satisfactory situation that if an Aran trawler breaks down on the west coast he has to have that boat towed to Dingle or Killybegs for repairs?
Yes, and nobody on the Deputy's side of the House ever got his feet wet and I know that.
I cannot accept the Minister's reply. In view of the fact that we have EEC grants and help available to us to provide the necessary facilities, is the Minister saying it is good enough to have these people treated in this manner?
If "this manner" is taken to indicate an improper manner, that is not so. I know that any trawler man in trouble with an engine breakdown can be in contact within minutes with the boatyard involved and have help on the way through the coast radio stations. As I have told the Deputy, I have done it myself.
Question No. 18 postponed.
19.
asked the Minister for Fisheries if any grants for the development of this country's fishing industry have been received from the EEC regional and social funds.
In December, 1976, the EEC Commission approved bulk regional fund assistance totalling £4.57 million in respect of 27 infrastructural projects, one of which concerned the provision of a syncrolift—boat-lifting platform—at Killybegs fishery harbour, and I am delighted to announce it today. As regards the European Social Fund, I understand that to date An Bord Iascaigh Mhara have received grants totalling more than £6,000 towards the cost of fish technology courses for Irish fishermen.
In view of the fact that the EEC, under Article 103, bound themselves to carrying out a survey on the economic and social development of areas along the coast can the Minister indicate what evidence there is that this survey has been carried out? Has any worth-while effort been made to provide funds for the development in the more backward areas?
Article 72 of the regional fund regulations stipulates that projects costing less than £4.17 million should be submitted as grouped applications. Article 74 goes on to specify that the EEC Commission should approve assistance for such grouped applications in the aggregate. Consequently, the Commission does not publish details of the assistance in respect of individual small projects. The amount of financial assistance related to the syncrolift project is a figure for the Minister's information only and, because of EEC regulations, I cannot give it to the House.
The selection of a project for regional fund assistance will not increase the level of aid paid for that project. Regional Fund aid will instead be applied to increase the total pool of resources available to the State to finance additional industrial and infrastructural investment particularly in the areas of greatest need. This approach places priority on increasing the overall volume of regional development investment rather than giving additional assistance to particular regional development projects already in progress. This Department submitted two further fishery harbour development projects, Clogherhead, County Louth, and Drumatoor, County Kerry, to the Department of Finance for consideration under the 1977 regional fund allocation. I am glad to announce that the work on Clogherhead pier will commence in this financial year at a cost of approximately £500,000.
Why did the Minister not wait for the general election to announce that? It is ridiculous announcing it now.
All I can do is my best to help the Opposition and I will continue to do that because they need all the help they can get.
We have had another example of the Minister's bluff in relation to the fisheries question. Can the Minister tell the House the number of applications for regional fund development which have gone to the EEC for fisheries development and infrastructure in the last three years?
These matters are dealt with in groups in the aggregate. At present two relatively small projects are in the office of the Minister for Finance. I have already explained to the Deputy how Articles 72 and 74 work. The small fishery harbours are being dealt with at high civil service level at important meetings in Brussels. Out of those meetings will come sanction for various developments which will then go to the Department of Finance. I cannot tell the Deputy, as he knows, the various items at present before those civil servants because I do not know what will emerge from those meetings and which schemes will be successful. I will do my utmost, through my officials in Europe, to see that the maximum number are successful. I had experience of this myself because in my business I was unsuccessful in getting a grant because FEOGA turned it down. I am not going to tell the House anything that would in any way militate against the chances of any small harbour being approved just to suit the Deputy coming up to an election.
Why did the Minister specifically mention Clogherhead?
I have told the Deputy that the civil servants in Brussels are considering a pool of projects out of which some will be successful. I hope they all will be successful but some will probably fail. I am not going to tell the House what those projects are because I do not want to militate against any small harbour, no matter how many votes Deputy Gallagher wants to get, a man who never got his bloody feet wet once in his life.
That is a lie. I will take the Minister out to sea with me any time.