Oireachtas Committee to hear from leading academics on sustaining rural coastal and island communities

24 April 2013

Alyne Delaney of Aalborg University, Denmark and  Stephen Hynes of the Social Economics Marine Research Unit at NUI Galway will outline to the committee what they see as the policy approaches required to bolster island, coastal and inshore fishing industries. The potential in aquaculture and tourism sectors will also be explored.

Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “The Joint sub-Committee on Fisheries last month commenced a series of meetings on how to sustain coastal and island communities. We hosted detailed discussion with officials from a range of government departments which afforded our Committee an insight into policy options available to support rural and coastal communities. We also engaged with fishing, farming and island associations on what they see as the priorities for the communities they represent.

“Tomorrow's meeting is an opportunity to hear the distinct perspectives of two prominent academics who have undertook valuable research in coastal and island communities. Dr Delaney specialises in the area of innovative fisheries management, while the research of Dr Hynes has a focus on the economic importance of coastal and off-shore marine environments. The views expressed tomorrow will flow into a sub-Committee report which will seek to identify the current socio-economic situation in rural coastal and island communities, examine existing government policy that supports existing industries and services and highlight which alternative industries or services for such communities merit further consideration.”

The meetings tomorrow take place in Committee Room 4, LH 2000 at 9:30 am tomorrow Thursday 25 April. Committee proceedings can be followed live here.

Ends
For further information contact:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 6949926

paul.hand@oireachtas.ie

Joint sub-Committee on Fisheries - Membership

Chairman: Andrew Doyle TD

Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Andrew Doyle TD, Fine Gael
Martin Ferris TD, Sinn Féin
Michael McNamara TD, Labour
Thomas Pringle TD, Independent
Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil

Joint Committee on Transport and Communications
Noel Harrington TD, Fine Gael
Sean Kenny TD, Labour

Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht
Senator Ned O’Sullivan, Fianna Fáil
Senator Denis Landy, Labour