The House will now hear two minute statements on matters appropriate to the Minister for the Marine. I propose to call on the Deputies I have selected in the following order: Deputy Sheehan and Deputy McGinley. Each Deputy is entitled to two minutes in respect of each matter and each statement will be followed immediately by a two minute statement by the Minister for the Marine or the Minister of State thereof.
Adjournment Debate. - Marine Matters.
I thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important matter tonight. It is now nine years since the Bardini Reefer sank at the entrance to Castletownbere Harbour and the wreck is still there occupying almost half the harbour entrance. It has for that period posed a serious threat to ships and craft entering and leaving the harbour. Numerous requests have been made by Cork County Council and fishing cooperatives in Castletownbere to the Minister for the Marine and his Department but all to no avail.
The legal representative for the Bantry Harbour Authority had lengthy and protracted correspondence with the Minister and the Department of the Marine dating back to 1983 but without success. I ask the Minister to let the House know the answers to the following questions: first, why did the Department of the Marine refer to the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, when the harbour commissioners have powers under the Harbours Act, 1946, to remove wrecks? Second, have the Department of the Marine knowledge of the identity of the owners, the mortgagees, the charterers, the insurers, the shipping agents or any other parties having an interest in the craft? Third, what efforts have been made to have the wreck removed by any party interested in it or to have it removed by the Department of the Marine and to recover the expense from any of the interested parties? Fourth, is there a limitation period where the owners or insurers can discard their liability to the wreck and, if that is the case, why was action not instituted within the limitation period?
Finally, I call on the Minister to take positive steps to move the wreck immediately and thereby safeguard the passage of ships and craft entering and leaving the harbour at Castletownbere.
Limerick West): I would first like to remind the House of the background to this case. Following a fire on board, the vessel Bardini Reefer sank off the coast at Castletownbere, County Cork, in December 1982. The wreck lies outside the limits of Castletownbere Fishery Harbour Centre and parts of it are visible at low tide.
I am aware that the vessel has been buoyed and marked by the Commissioners of Irish Lights and is marked on navigational charts so its existence should be known by seafarers. There are no reports of accidents or collisions as a result of any possible hazard posed by the wreck.
The cost of removal of the wreck is estimated at between £0.5 million and £1.0 million pounds and could be higher. I informed Deputies on 10 March that, due to cost, I had no plans to remove the vessel.
The wreck has been mentioned in the local newspapers from time to time and Cork County Council have been in regular communication with my Department regarding the removal of the wreck. Despite protracted correspondence between the Department and solicitors acting for the insurers, the latter are not prepared to finance the cost of removal of the wreck. This position is not acceptable to me or my Department. I wish to inform the Deputy that the matter is being pursued further with the insurers concerned.
Thank you, Minister, I hope you will have some success.
I now call on Deputy McGinley to make a two minute statement appropriate to the Minister for the Marine.
Ar dtús ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leat, a Cheann Comhairle, as ucht deis a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar seo a thógail ar an Athló.
It is now almost two years since the embargo on the issuing of fishing licences was introduced by the Government and it has led to great confusion, uncertainty and, indeed, stagnation in the development of the Irish fishing industry. At present I understand there are about 200 applications for fishing boat licences languishing on the Minister's desk and there seems to be an unwillingness or an inability at departmental and Government level to do anything. We have now reached the ridiculous situation where young fishermen, many of whom have successfully completed a skipper's course and are fully trained, cannot take up fishing as a livelihood due to this incredible embargo. What advice would the Minister give to a young man today who wants to purchase a new fishing boat and earn his living as, perhaps, his father before him did? Do we expect him to continue to accept the answers he has been getting during the last two years, namely, that his request is impossible and that he cannot have a boat of his own?
It is generally accepted that there are structural gaps in our fishing fleet and that the profile is not entirely suitable to our changing requirements. We have too much capacity in certain areas and too little in others. However, the Department seem to be powerless to address this problem and it has led the industry up a cul-de-sac. It is no wonder we have so many young fishermen emigrating to as far away as Seattle and Japan and applying their skills there.
The Irish fishing industry has tremendous economic and employment potential. Our fishing grounds are one of the great natural resources. Unfortunately, it is becoming impossible for us as a nation to reap these benefits while this crazy situation is allowed continue. I appeal to the Minister to immediately take action, to break the logjam in issuing licences and to allow the industry develop to its full potential.
(Limerick West): I have explained already on numerous occasions in this House the fishing boat licensing policy at present in force and the background to the policy.
Licences are, generally speaking, allocated on a replacement basis only, that is, an applicant must offer to withdraw equivalent capacity from the fleet to that which he or she proposes to bring in.
The rationale for this policy derives from both national and Community considerations. To allow additional capacity into many segments of our fleet where stocks are under pressure would simply undermine the viability of existing fishing activity. Moreover, there are constraints arising from the policies of the European Community which entail maintaining strict control on the development of the fleet.
The framework for the evolution of the Irish fishing fleet over the next five years is at the moment the subject of discussions with the European Commission and I am pressing strongly in that context for scope for additional capacity in those areas of the fleet where there is potential for development.
The Dáil adjourned at 9.45 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Friday, 10 May 1991.