Oireachtas Committee to commence debate on sustaining rural coastal and island communities

19 March 2013

Following the engagement with officials, the sub-Committee on Fisheries commences a series of meetings aimed at exploring strategies for promoting sustainable coastal and island communities. Department Officials will engage with the sub-Committee on the policies 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: “At our meeting with Chairs of Fisheries Committees from across the European Union in Dublin Castle last week, we discussed the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, including the current of efforts to curb the number of discards in European Union waters. The importance of a viable fishing industry to the sustainability of coastal communities, many of which are marginalised across Europe, was widely discussed. Our meeting tomorrow allows us to further explore with Department Officials the current CFP negotiations and their implications for the Irish fishing fleet.

“Informed by these discussions on the CFP, the Joint sub-Committee on Fisheries will commence a series of meetings on how to sustain coastal and island communities. The sub-Committee intends to publish a 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, with the Joint Committee commencing its discussions on CFP at 2 pm. The Joint sub-Committee on Fisheries is scheduled to begin its consideration with Department Officials at 3:45 pm.

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

Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine - Membership

Deputies:
Tom Barry, Fine Gael
Pat Deering, Fine Gael (Vice-Chair)
Martin Ferris, Sinn Féin
Andrew Doyle, Fine Gael (Chair)
Martin Heydon, Fine Gael
Colm Keaveney, Labour
Michael McNamara, Labour
Eamon Ó Cuiv, Fianna Fáil
Thomas Pringle, Independent

Senators:
Michael Comiskey, Fine Gael
Paschal Mooney, Fianna Fáil
Pat O’Neill, Fine Gael
Mary Ann O’Brien, Independent
Brian Ó Domhnaill, Fianna Fáil
Susan O’Keeffe, Labour

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