The Oireachtas Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Committee chairman, Noel O'Flynn, has called for the Garda investigation into alleged fraud within the fishing industry to be concluded "as soon as possible".
Mr O'Flynn, who is Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central, made his comments during a fact-finding visit by the Oireachtas committee to the leading fishing port of Killybegs, Co Donegal, yesterday.
"The investigation is a matter for the Garda authorities, but we would hope that it could be brought to a conclusion as quickly as possibly so that a shadow cast over parts of Killybegs could be lifted," he said.
A State investment of over €50 million in Killybegs was also not being fully realised due to serious bureaucratic difficulties within the port, Mr O'Flynn said.
Restricted landing times due to staffing problems with fishery officers, and the lack of a permanent harbour master, were having a serious impact, he said.
The port's harbour master has been suspended since last year as part of a separate investigation, and the issue of restricted landing times was to have been resolved several months ago.
The Oireachtas committee delegation of Mr O'Flynn, vice-chair Mr John Perry (FG), Mr Tommy Broughan (Lab) and Mr Peter Kelly (FF) held a series of meetings in the port yesterday.
They heard a presentation from the South-West Donegal Chamber of Commerce about the impact of the restrictions on employment in the area.
There were very real fears of up to 1,000 job losses in an area where unemployment is almost 20 per cent already, the chamber said. The chamber, led by Art Kavanagh, highlighted the fact that almost €300 million of a recent €383 million investment in Killybegs came from private sector funds and borrowings.
The chamber said that if a foreign businessman invested the equivalent in somewhere like City West in Dublin, the Government would be "extending the Luas to it".
Mr O'Flynn said that his committee had proposed that an advisory group, involving harbour stakeholders, be established with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to try to overcome some of the bureaucratic difficulties. The Oireachtas committee was also proposing a review of the 1968 fishery harbours legislation to allow for management boards representing stakeholders to be put in place.
Committee vice-chairman John Perry called on the Government to establish a long-term policy for the fishing industry.
The Garda investigation into allegations of collusion between Department of Marine officials and the fishing industry in relation to fraudulent landings is continuing. It was initiated last year by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey, after a Donegal fisherman Pat Cannon, complained to the European Commission.
