Call For Minister To Intervene To Ensure Ice Plants Re-Open On Thursday

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been called to intervene immediately to ensure ice plants in Howth, Kilmore and Dunmore East are re-opened by tomorrow, 06 August.

Sinn Féin MEP Liadh Ní Riada also accused Minister Simon Coveney of "sleepwalking into the crisis".

Liadh Ní Riada said: "Fishermen along the East Coast are very concerned that their operations may be tied-up over the coming days and weeks as the ice plants in the three major ports are temporary closed due to health and safety concerns.

"The health and safety of workers has to be paramount and BIM are correct to give priority to the wellbeing of its employees and contractors. The current level of risk is due to under-resourcing of the fisheries sector by consecutive Governments over a number of decades, and the buck stops with Simon Coveney. For all their talk of recovery, this Government is lurching from one crisis to another, which is impacting on jobs and growth.

"Without ice, fishermen cannot ensure that their catch will arrive back to shore in saleable condition, so while there is still a limited supply of ice in each plant unless we have a resolution to the personnel shortages in the next day or two these fishing boats will, in effect, be tied to the harbour wall, with a huge negative impact on fishermen and those employed in support and processing industries."

(CD)