LETTER: Communities suffer for benefit of EU

SIR – I am writing to you to express my disgust after watching RTÉ’s ‘Atlantic’ that was broadcast at 22.15 on December 8th. We are all well aware of what financial difficulty our country is in, yet we are allowing other countries and oil companies ravage our natural resources.  

With regards the fishing industry, I see all the foreign lorries and trawlers in my home town of Castletownbere, they don’t even process the fish here. I cannot understand how we can possibly have a such a low quota in comparison to what we are contributing. 

Also, all fishing grounds are not of equal quality. There is no comparison between the value of Spanish, Portuguese, or Dutch waters to ours. 

That is why all these foreign boats are in our waters, with their behemoth trawlers hoovering our waters bare, while Irish fishing boats are moored.

With such bountiful fishing waters, any oil and gas work is an even bigger risk than normal. Yet we have the second most generous terms in the world. 

The fact that Ireland will barely earn anything from Corrib is simply disgraceful, through what seems to be laziness, self-interest or incompetence, especially as we had far better terms until the eighties.

Irish people and communities are suffering for the benefit of the European Union. Our stocks will collapse; our coastal communities will disappear. Just like in Newfoundland. 

Our politicians need to remember that their responsibilities are to the Irish people that they represent, not anyone else.

Sincerely,

Julie Harrington

Jack Patrick’s, 

Main Street,       

Castletownbere,