asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if, in view of the urgent need for modern facilities for trawler fishermen at the Coal Quay, Dún Laoghaire he will consider, as a matter of urgency, the provision of a filleting and ice shed: and if he will make a general policy statement in relation to the trawler fishermen in Dún Laoghaire in the context of plans for the future development of Irish sea fisheries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dún Laoghaire Trawler Fishermen.
14.
I do not consider that the provision of a filleting and ice shed at Dún Laoghaire at the expense of the State would be warranted. In fact fish filleting premises have not been provided anywhere by the State and I am informed that adequate supplies of ice at a reasonable price are readily available at Dún Laoghaire.
As to the second part of the question, all reasonable facilities will continue to be made available to the trawler fishermen at Dún Laoghaire but as Howth is scheduled for development as a major fishery harbour, a major development of fish landing facilities at Dún Laoghaire could not be contemplated.
Is the Minister aware that some ten or 12 trawler fishermen operate from Dún Laoghaire and the conditions in which they operate are primitive in the extreme? Would he consider sending out a team of experts to see the tremendous potential there is on the Coal Quay for these facilities?
Is the Minister aware that the inter-Party Government provided a filleting and ice plant at Killybegs?
The question relates to Dún Laoghaire.
The Minister said that the State did not provide them anywhere and I am pointing out that we did.
They have to have something behind them. So far as Deputy Andrews's supplementary question is concerned, we do not need to send out a team of experts. We know that there is quite a sizeable fleet operating from there but we do not provide these filleting facilities and neither do we consider that in the case of Dún Laoghaire at the present time is there a situation wherein the Board should provide an ice plant for the reason that ice is available more readily and more economically from city ice plants than it could be provided at Dún Laoghaire. In addition to this, you have across the bay at Howth a major fishery harbour development scheme going ahead at which all these facilities will be provided. Overall we feel the situation is not one which requires the provision of an ice plant at Dún Laoghaire.
As far as Howth is concerned, it is very remote from Dún Laoghaire. The reason I tabled the question was to ensure that whatever would be done for these people would be done in the interests of the community at Dún Laoghaire and not primarily in the interests of the people at Howth.
I am afraid I do not hold with the view that Dún Laoghaire and Howth are remote from each other from the point of view of berthage and on-shore facilities. These are in the course of being provided in a substantial way at Howth. The people at Dún Laoghaire who fish there are not bereft of such facilities because ice is available to them at a cheaper rate than it would be even if they had their own plant at Dún Laoghaire. I cannot therefore see the point in providing these facilities at Dún Laoghaire.
Has a start been made on the work at Howth?
Of course it has.
Since when?
There have been complaints about the vibrations from the blasting for the past few months. I thought the Deputy would have known about that.
Can the Minister say why, when there are berthing facilities at Dún Laoghaire, the boats have to go to Howth?
Fifty-four thousand pounds worth of fish was landed at Dún Laoghaire and over £200,000 was landed at Howth. That is the disposition of the two fleets, four to one.