Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss the crisis to inshore fishing in Ireland and the Soil Monitoring Law

The meeting at 6.30pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be split into three sessions:

17:30  - The Deepening Crisis in the Inshore Fishing Industry in Ireland 

• ​Representatives from National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) 

18:30  - Further Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals: 

• Officials from Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) 

19:30 - Proposal on Soil Monitoring and Resilience (Soil Monitoring Law) and implications for the agricultural sector 

• Officials from Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) 

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Jackie Cahill said: “Today’s meeting will focus on the crisis in the inshore fishing industry in Ireland and the proposed Soil Monitoring Laws impact on the agricultural industry. 

In our first session the Committee will hear from representatives from the National Inshore Fishermen's Association (NIFA) on the crisis in the Inshore fishing community in Ireland. Inshore fishing plays a significant part in the Irish economy and for the economy of coastal communities. Due to several events in recent years, including the COVID - 19 pandemic and Brexit, fishing families across Ireland have experienced financial hardship. The Committee look forward to hearing from the National Inshore Fishermen's Association and their proposed strategy to reduce the impact of the crisis on coastal communities across Ireland. The second part of this session will discuss the EU legislative proposals to fishing opportunities and fishing stock in Ireland with Department officials.

The third session will focus on the establishment of a Soil Monitoring Law for Ireland and the EU. Due to the lack of a common EU legislation, Member States have tried to address soil health issues, such as degradation and erosion at a national level.

The Committee looks forward to meeting with the National Inshore Fishermen's Association (NIFA) and Department officials to discuss measures to reduce the impact of the crisis on inshore fishing and to discuss the implications of the Soil Monitoring Law on the Irish agricultural sector." 

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.