14 Aib 2014, 16:49
The Federation of Irish Fishermen and representatives from lobster-shellfish and inland fishing groups are before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine tomorrow to consider fishing industry losses due to the recent storms.
14 April 2014
Chairman of the Committee Andrew Doyle TD says: “Fishing communities nationwide have been disproportionately impacted by the severe weather earlier this year. Committee Members are acutely aware of the hardship this is causing the fishing sector. Not only did the storms preventing their ability to get out to sea to earn, fishermen have difficulties in accessing social welfare payments while land-bound.
“The considerable damage to piers, property and equipment in smaller fishing harbours, where the main inshore fleets are based, also poses a longer term challenge to the overall Irish fishing fleet. At a recent meeting with Department Officials on the issue, the heightened vulnerability of this infrastructure to further, greater damage, was raised. Committee Members noted the imperative of ensuring the often small scale remedial work is expedited with the utmost of urgency and with the minimum of bureaucratic impediments.
“The Committee is also keen that adequate supports are available to relevant fishermen to replace lost or damaged static fishing gear, such as lobster pots. We look forward to hearing from the perspectives of representatives from the lobster-shellfish sector at tomorrow’s meeting on the measures currently in place and what more can be done.”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Tuesday 15 April at 2 pm in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. It can be viewed online here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
ENDS
View Committee Membership.
For further information please contact:
Paul Hand,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +353 1 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926