Mr. Francis O'Donnell:

I suppose I will start with Deputy McConalogue's questions. I will come back to Senator Mac Lochlainn's afterwards.

In relation to the new Bill, I suppose our vessels at present do not really fish inside the six mile limit in Northern Ireland and we do not need that reciprocal arrangement. The 75 ft. rule was in place, but that was dispensed with at some point along the line by the Department. In the original agreement, which is now found to be unlawful, there were parameters. Those parameters were dispensed with. The 75 ft. rule was the first one, but was only for fishing vessels and aquaculture vessels. Large dredgers were then allowed in under the so-called "voisinage" agreement. That was really an abuse. It was an agreement. I suppose the Department thought that it had a legal standing and they dispensed with that as it suited themselves. That would be the first two issues.

It is being abused at present. It was initially only supposed to be for those permanently resident in Northern Ireland. There are persons permanently resident in Galway, in Cork and in Kerry who were fishing under this agreement which now has fallen, and to be honest, they had an easier system of getting their vessels licensed. They would not have to pay the same amount for kilowatts and tonnage and they had put themselves at an advantage. It was a loophole within the system. If the State believed that agreement existed and was lawful, it should have enforced that but it did not.