I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
The object of this Bill is to amend the Fishery Harbour Centres Act, 1968, in two respects. The first amendment is to increase the maximum fine on summary conviction for offences under the 1968 Act to the realistic level of £500. The second amendment is to provide for the establishment of a fishery harbour centre at Rossaveel, County Galway, instead of at Galway which is at present mentioned in the schedule to the Fishery Harbour Centres Act, 1968, as a harbour in relation to which a Fishery Harbour Centre Order may be made.
When the parent Act was introduced 12 years ago, the choice of Galway as a fishery harbour centre on the west coast was supported by the recommendations of a Swedish harbour consultant, Mr. Carl G. Bjuke, who had been engaged by the Government to advise about harbours most suitable for development as major fishery harbours. Work in the establishment of a major fishery harbour beside the commercial harbour at Galway began in 1969. The work was suspended due to local objections and demands for additional works which would have substantially increased the cost of the scheme. In 1972, the Government decided to provide facilities at Rossaveel, County Galway, which is 23 miles west of Galway, to meet the immediate needs of the fishing fleet on the west coast. These facilities consisted of the provision of a new pier at Rossaveel with a stormwall and an additional paved area adjoining the pier to accommodate various ancillary facilities, construction of a causeway from the old to the new pier and the dredging of the harbour and approach channel. These facilities were provided by 1978 and, in addition, the approach road to the harbour was improved. An ice-plant was also provided on the pier.
The decision to improve the facilities at Rossaveel proved very quickly to be the right one. Although these facilities are limited, landings of fish at Rossaveel have been substantial during 1979, so that in that year the landings there were the fifth highest for all the harbours in the country and, significantly, were 76 per cent higher than the landings at Galway during the same period. This is understandable, in view of the saving of time and fuel oil by the trawlers in landing at Rossaveel instead of at Galway.
The further development of Rossaveel Harbour can best be achieved by transferring responsibility for its development and management from Galway County Council to my Department. In order to do this, it is first of all necessary that the harbour be included in the schedule to the Fishery Harbour Act, 1968, as a harbour in relation to which a Fishery Harbour Centre Order may be made. This, of course, means dropping Galway from among the harbours to be developed as fishery harbour centres. Under this amending legislation, the harbours to be developed as fishery harbour centres will be Castletownbere, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Rossaveel.
Ar ndóigh, tá Ros an Mhíl i gceantar Ghaeltachta. Is áis mhór do na h-iascairí as Oileáin Árainn chomh maith le h-ias-cairí na mór-thíre na feabhais atá curtha i gcrích cheana féin ag Cuan Ros an Mhíl trí airgead Stáit, thart ar milliún púnt, a bheith ar fáil ó Roinn na Gaeltachta. Tá coiste comhairleach bunaithe agam ar a mbeidh ionadaí ó Roinn na Gaeltachta, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Comharchumann Iascairí Ghaillimh agus Árainn, Comhairle Chontae na Gaillimhe, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Oifig na n-Oibreacha Poiblí, An Roinn Airgeadais agus mo Roinn féin. Beidh an coiste seo ag déanamh staidéir ar riachtanaisí Chuan Ros an Mhíl mar lár-ionad chuan iascaigh agus ag déanamh moltaí dom faoi fhorbairt an chuain seo sa todhchaí.
I commend this Bill to the House.
