Danny Healy-Rae: Fishermen 'Badly Let Down' After Talks
Danny Healy-Rae spoke on behalf of fishermen from across the west and south, arguing they have been "badly left down" by recent cap and Brexit talks and domestic decisions. He criticised the sacking of ministers during those negotiations, said quotas were reduced, and called for protection against foreign vessels and unfair weighing rules.
Representation at negotiations
Healy-Rae said there was no organised attempt to defend fishermen at cap and Brexit talks, and that there may have been no representation at some meetings. He criticised the sacking of ministers while important talks were underway and argued this compounded the problem for coastal communities.
Liffey protest and grassroots impact
He described a highly organised demonstration that came up the Liffey at great expense, with around twenty fishermen speaking and making a strong impression on elected members. Healy-Rae said this was the most organised presentation he had seen in six years representing County Kerry.
Weighing regime and safety concerns
He argued the weighing regime imposed on Irish fishermen is not applied to foreign vessels landing fish on Irish shores and called for that disparity to be ended. He also said fishermen need protection when foreign boats are ramming or threatening them and that current protections are inadequate.
Economic pressures on coastal communities
Healy-Rae highlighted the high cost of diesel and running fishing vessels, and criticised additional charges such as a carbon tax. He said many fishers work part-time alongside small-scale farming or building, and warned that without support these coastal communities face decline similar to losses seen in the hospitality sector.
Defence of rural livelihoods
He closed by stressing his duty as an elected representative to defend coastal communities and ensure the survival of small-scale fishermen, saying they are at a crossroads and need immediate action to prevent further demise.
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Thank you very much for giving me the chance, and I too want to talk on behalf of the fishermen, and the fishermen of our country, right around the country from Castellown, Bear and Dingle and all the Bearheaven and all there is up along the west, whether it is Mayo or Dunigal or whatever, these fishermen have been badly left down. And you see, the let down has been compounded by different things, and no less than the sacking of Hogan and the sacking of two ministers for agriculture, and while these very important cap talks and Brexit talks were going on, this was happening here. We had no organised attempt to defend our fishermen, and their quotas have been further reduced, they are not getting the protection of the marine from the boats that are supposed to defend them, and they have been badly left down. Indeed, this group of people came at savage expense up the Liffey and parked outside across the river here from us, and to say that they were organised and so well thought out their whole presentation would be an understatement, because they were very organised, and maybe twenty of them spoke, one after the other, no one repeated what the first fellow said, and their stories were very interesting, and they made a real impression on me, and indeed all the elected members that I spoke about it, and talked about it, to the most organised demonstration that came up in front of us in the six years that I have been representing the County of Kerry. Indeed, they are, like I said, there was no proper team made at the talks, indeed I don't think we were even represented at some of the talks, and that's how bad the story is. Yet, the French government made sure that they got what they wanted, for their fishermen. They didn't let that crowd down. But I can honestly say here that all fishermen have been left down. And all they're asking for, they're not looking for handouts, they're looking for more quarter. This weighing regime that's being asked of them is not being asked of the foreign fishermen that are landing fish on our harbours and on our shores. So that has to be got rid of right away. And they need protection when there's foreign boats ramming them or threatening them, and they're not getting that protection. So, look, I really appreciate the fishermen. I know a lot of them back along the coast. They work part-time at the fishermen, at fishing. They work at a small bit of farming, maybe a small bit of building. And by massive ingenuity, they eek out a living. And they need the fishing to be protected. Because if they'll die away, and I can see what it costs to put those boats that didn't land down onto the sky, those fishing vessels. And there is massive expense there. Can you imagine how they're suffering with the cost of diesel and fuel since the increase, and charging them carbon tax as well on top of it? I will, Chairman, I'm finishing up, but it would be remiss of me as an elected representative here, if I didn't defend these people from coastal communities, and to ensure that they survive, because they're at a crossroads now, and many of them may not, like the hospitality sector. And who's going to be affected in all rural areas. And we don't want any further demise of those areas, because they've gone down and gone back far enough. Thank you, Kahir. Thank you very much.
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