There are calls for Dunmore East to be designated as a landing port for northern Ireland and British-based fishing vessels.
Post Brexit, the harbour in Dunmore East was removed as a port for British and Northern Ireland-registered fishing vessels to land their catches. Since then, seven ports have been redesignated, six on the west coast and one, Howth, on the east coast, but Dunmore East is not one of them
Representations were made in the Dail last night by Waterford Oireachtas members Sinn Fein's David Cullinane, the Green Party's Marc O'Cathasaigh and Independent TD Matt Shanahan on the issue.
Deputy Shanahan said it was a significant economic issue for Dunmore East. He also highlighted the environmental impact:
"The travel time to Dunmore East for fishing vessels that access the fishing grounds known as the Smalls is five or six hours. However, they cannot access the port and are forced to go to either Castletownbere, which is 17 or 18 hours' travel distance, or Howth, which is ten or 12 hours' travel distance. This has obvious emissions, economic and even safety impacts."
Green Party TD Marc O'Cathasaigh said he had concerns for crew safety:
"I worry about the risk to the safety of ship crews, who may choose in the event of bad weather to make for a port where they can land their catch over the nearest safe harbour. In conjunction with my colleagues, I ask the Minister to find a resolution to this issue, if possible.
Responding, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue said the designation of ports for landings does not preclude vessels from coming into ports for force majeure reasons such as the need to reach a safe harbour. He also said the fact that the three Waterford Deputies had come together on the issue "shows the importance they place on it".
"As outlined by the Deputies, Dunmore East has not been designated at this point but this will be kept under review. In 2018, there were 15 landings by UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels into Dunmore East. This reduced to nine landings in 2019 and reduced further in 2020. Over the two years, 2018 and 2019, the total landings amounted to 318 tonnes into Dunmore East by UK-registered Northern Ireland vessels. I understand that these were landings of nephrops, mainly from the Smalls. I included Howth as a designated port at the beginning of the year and this provides a landing option for UK Northern Ireland-registered vessels fishing for nephrops in the large fishing grounds in the north Irish Sea and may also provide an option for such vessels fishing in the Smalls or Labidine. I designated Howth because, unlike Dunmore East, there were 26 landings by UK-registered vessels into Howth in 2018 and this increased to 28 landings in 2019."
David Cullinane said he had listened very carefully to what the Minister said as to the reason Howth was picked over Dunmore East but he did not believe it should be a case of one or the other; it could be both"
"Regardless of the numbers the Minister cited, every boat that lands creates opportunities for businesses. When they are gone, those opportunities are gone, which represents a loss to the harbour and surrounding areas. I ask the Minister to look at this again and to visit the port at some point, when travel restrictions and his own commitments permit."
