A Killybegs businessman has revealed how it took him five years to get a letter of authorisation to seek planning permission for a seafood deli.
Fed-up John Shine claims the Government is doing nothing to help Ireland’s fishing harbours to bounce back from the recession.
The well-known businessman says rents and rates have been hiked up when they should have been reduced to help fishermen start alternative businesses.
The former fisherman who now owns a takeaway fumed “It’s crazy. They should be helping us to create jobs but instead they’re forcing people out of jobs,” he said.
He revealed how his own plans to open a seafood deli for tourists hit the rocks because of red tape despite waiting five years to get a letter of authorisation to get planning permission.
“Then I found out after buying the lease it was not renewable. There’s only seven years left and after that I would have to lay off all the staff and the lease would be put up for tender,” he revealed.
He said all fishermen were looking for now was a fair deal.
But he fumed “The people we are dealing with have no commercial expertise. Businesses are being slaughtered by unreasonable terms and conditions when there are so many places sitting empty. We are begging for help,” he said.
Mr Shine has now co-founded Fishing for Jobs campaign which aims to stop the decimation of Ireland’s fishing ports.
Ends
Tags: