Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities

MARINE TIMES NEWS July 9th:
Nothing Much New in The Mulvey Report

Analysis by Tom MacSweeney, Executive Editor

It may have been awaited for a long time, but the report by Kieran Mulvey, sought by Minister Timmy Dooley, has been rather accurately described by the Chairman of the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association, Michael Desmond, as “much ado about nothing.”

“It tells us nothing that we didn’t know and a contact from Donegal described it as like a postcard from a tourist who has toured Ireland and is sending the result to a terminally ill patient,” Mr. Desmond told the Marine Times.

“We have an industry that earlier this year was described as in a very serious, devastating situation with a dismal future and now we get a report that tells us nothing new. What’s the point? When will anything be done? There are plenty of reports, but no action,” said Mr. Desmond.

Kieran Mulvey is recognised as one the premier mediators and facilitators in Ireland having undertaken many significant strategic and transformative agreements for government, government departments, State agencies and in the private sector. He was Chief Executive of the Labour Relations Commission and first Director General of the Workplace Relations Commission. He has been appointed to discuss and resolve issues between the fishing industry and offshore renewable energy (ORE) sectors.

His report to Minister Dooley, which was circulated to industry organisations a few days ago, is intended to provide information to assist in developing a new five-year strategy for the fisheries sector under the Programme for Government.

He has called for a standalone Department of the Marine, an issue the Taoiseach raised over a month ago at the World Ocean Day Fair Seas conference in Cork, which would need a Referendum if the number of Cabinet Ministers was to be increased.

As well as this, the Mulvey Report suggests a single national representative body for the fishing and seafood sector, with subcommittees representing different interests.

It quotes all the well-known and extensively previously reported licensing problems in the aquaculture sector and suggests fixed-payment notices for minor fisheries infringements.

One aspect which it highlights is the difficulty of getting new entrants to the industry, for which Mr. Mulvey suggests a succession scheme to help older vessel owners retire while supporting the introduction of younger fishermen. That is one of the positives in the report but, as the NIFA Chairman says, when will there be action to help the industry.

To compile the report Mr. Mulvey visited fishing ports, met fishermen, representative organisations and State agencies.

• The report is available on the Department’s website: Kieran Mulvey report on Seafood & Fishery Sector (www.gov.ie)

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