At a meeting of representatives from the Seafood Ireland alliance in Brussels on Tuesday, Maria Walsh, MEP for Midlands-North-West called for a new Minister of State to focus on fisheries. Fine Gael MEP Walsh expressed her view that the current situation “is not working” and the fishing industry is facing a “slow and painful death”.
Her view was that the reduction of Irish fishing quotas by the EU was the main reason for the decline of the Irish fishing industry saying; “The issues facing the sector boil down to one core issue; Ireland’s fishing quotas. Brexit compounded an already growing problem with the industry losing 15% of its quota overnight as part of the EU-UK’s Brexit deal.” The decline of the fishing industry has had a detrimental effect on the local economy in Galway with many fishermen and women being without a job and businesses having to shut due to lack of suppliers.
She believed that a new Minister of State for fisheries would be crucial in standing up for Ireland’s interests in Europe and at home, while pressuring the incoming government to add this new post, continuing; “As we edge closer to a General Election, I reiterate my calls for the creation of a Minister of State with specific responsibility for fisheries and marine within the next Government. Year after year, the fishing industry has been disappointed with the outcome of EU quota negotiations. The situation as it currently stands is not working, and we need a Minister dedicated to securing a result for the Irish fishing industry that rights the wrongs of the past.”
Disagreement with government over budget
Meanwhile, MEP Walsh disagreed with the Government’s stance on VAT in Tuesday’s budget, saying, “The decision not to cut the VAT rate for the hospitality sector has the potential to pull the rug out from under SMEs, in particular those in the West of Ireland operating in the tourism sector.”
She did however, praise the budget’s record-breaking funding for farming, which reached over €2 billion for the first time. She called it a “budget for farmers” while also saying that the “investment will be key to easing farmers’ journey through the ongoing green transition.”
She also praised Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe’s commitment to the increased funding for youth mental health services saying that she would “use this commitment in my campaigning for an EU Mental Health Strategy in the European Parliament.”
