I should like to thank the Chair for giving me an opportunity to raise this important issue on the Adjournment. I raised the matter on the Order of Business on Tuesday but was ruled out of order. I raised it again on Wednesday morning but I was ruled out of order and I am sure the Chair is aware of what happened when I tried to raise it as a Private Notice Question. It is hard to understand how an issue such as this should be ruled out of order because of lack of urgency since lives are at stake, lives of the Irish fishermen. However, we must be grateful for small mercies and, therefore, I should like to thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
The Irish fishing industry has had a particularly bad run since our entry to the EEC because foreign fishing vessels are fishing our waters and making it more difficult for the Irish to compete. The Irish fishing industry would be regarded as being under-developed having smaller boats, a lack of processing facilities and poorer harbours and we have much to learn in the marketing area. Those difficulties have been with us for quite sometime. The most recent danger to the Irish fishing industry is, undoubtedly, the menace of submarines in our waters, more particularly in the Irish Sea.
Last weekend 22 miles off the Wexford coast a French trawler engaged in fishing was suddenly towed backwards for about 65 meters. The skipper acted quickly and gave the order that the lines be cut. The trawler was in danger of being submerged at this stage but the skipper by his action saved the trawler and the lives of his crew. Of course, he lost his nets and his catch. The sudden change in the movement of his trawler lead the skipper, and crew, to believe that it could only have been a submarine that was involved.
In January 1983 a French trawler was pulled under by a submarine with the loss of ten lives. This occurred off Tuskar Rock off the Wexford coast. The incidents were very similar, only one of the ten bodies of that disaster has been recovered. In April 1982 the Sherlaga, an Irish trawler fishing from Clogher Head, was sunk by a British submarine. Again, the submarine got caught in the nets and towed her backwards and, subsequently, sank her. In August 1983 two submarines were sighted when they surfaced 12 miles off the south Wexford coast. Those submarines carried no identification whatever. Several other sightings have been recorded in the Irish Sea.
When the Sherlaga was sunk an immediate protest was lodged with the United Kingdom who denied that their submarines were involved. Yet, two days later they admitted responsibility for the incident. In the latest incident the British have again denied responsibility. Of course, we must admit it may not have been a British submarine but if not to which country does she belong? What was she doing in our waters?
The Irish Sea is at this time just as busy with submarine traffic as O'Connell Street is with motor cars. The fishermen of the south-east coast are now very wary about going to sea because of the danger of submarines lurking in Irish waters. Plenty of activity in Irish waters has been recorded, or suspected, and it is no great surprise that Irish fishermen are worried. In fact, Irish fishermen have now decided to use soft rope in their lines rather than traditional wire rope for hauling their nets so that if they have the misfortune to be caught by a submarine the lines will snap. The danger is that the lines are so weak that they may break for many other reasons. For instance, a good catch of fish could break them. The fishermen are very upset but nothing has ever been done to alleviate their fears of sightings off the coast or the incidents off the coast that have been reported. Yet, there are no clear answers. I am demanding this evening that the Government carry out a full investigation into all incidents reported to them.
Are the Government aware that there are submarines in the Channel? Are they aware of their activities? What are their activities? What are they doing off the Irish coast? Are there submarine bases in Irish waters? From the information we have and the little interest shown by the Government it appears they have no idea and, apparently, little concern.
I raised an incident off the Wexford coast when two submarines surfaced on successive days and were sighted by Kilmore Quay fishermen. The reply from the Taoiseach was vague and the message contained in it was that there was not too much to worry about.
I can assure the Minister, and the House, that the fishermen are worried and with very good reason. A fisherman's job is dangerous by nature and every year that passes the sea claims more lives. Have we been serious about providing proper life-saving services, for instance, around our coasts? We have not. The life-saving equipment is located ten miles apart around our coast. The apparatus available must be 100 years old. It is completely out of date. The crews caring for the apparatus are efficient and well-trained but their equipment leaves a lot to be desired.
The life boat service, of course, is second to none. Brave men set out in dangerous seas and they have done an excellent job. They must be commended at all times but do they get the back-up service? I am afraid not. In an incident recently the Marine Rescue Service Station at Shannon took 20 minutes to get through to Rosslare. This type of carelessness is not good enough. It is time that a marine service station was located at Rosslare. I am asking the Government today to consider that viewpoint. Very few helicopter bases are located around our coasts. When Government agencies are not prepared to back up the great voluntary tradition there is in sea-faring areas, it does not come as a surprise that fishermen have lost confidence in them. This is a new danger, the danger of submarines. Over the past few days people have been inclined to treat this business as a joke. When life is threatened there is no joke. Does the Minister's beautiful smile mean that he, too, regards this as a great joke?
