Mr. Alex Crowley:

I want to respond to Deputy Pringle's question because it was pretty much directed at me. The reason the NIFF does not have a clear policy position on the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 is because we did not get a clear mandate from the regional forums and that is just how we operate. The NIFF does not involve 12 people making stuff up as they go along. We act and operate based on a mandate from the regional inland fisheries forums, so it is really about credibility. That is just how we operate and that is the way things are. I do not know why the regional inland fisheries forums did not give us a clear mandate but if I had to hazard a guess, I think it was because it is such a complex issue. It is also quite a divisive issue. A couple of people could be fishing out of the same little harbour who are affected by this in very different ways. Was there departmental interference in this? Did the Department put a gagging order on the regional inland fisheries forums? The answer is "No". It is my opinion that this did not happen. The NIFF and the regional inland fisheries forums are quite free to say whatever they want.

Nothing has happened there.

On the new fisherman's association that Deputy Pringle mentioned, I am uniquely qualified to comment on that in that I am the chairman of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, and I am also the company secretary of the NIFF ACLG. Mr. Richard Guildea is the chairman of that. It was set up was to help those of us in the inshore forums to do a little bit more. The committee might wonder why we would want that. I will use today's hearing as an example. I and my two colleagues are here in a voluntary capacity today. Our travelling expenses will be covered and we will also get what is called a labour replacement cost of €200 a day. We are giving up our day jobs to be here. The last train to Kerry is at 7 o'clock, so it looks like I will be giving up my day job tomorrow as well. That is how we operate. It helps to get us a little bit of extra help if we need it. When I got the invitation to today's hearing, the clerk wanted to know if anyone would be assisting us today. At first I started laughing and then I felt like crying. Unless we pay for ourselves, we do not get any help. The idea of a new organisation is to create a legal entity to help us help ourselves. We hope that in future it will put us on a platform like the IFPO and the ISWFPO and we can buy in our independent outside advisers if we want to. I was quite flattered by Deputy Penrose's comment that he found our statement helpful or useful. That was put together by me and my two colleagues in our spare time. The new fishermen's association is about putting us on a platform which means we can help ourselves. There are times in life when we have to do things by ourselves.

There was no departmental interference or anything like that. It is a complex, divisive issue, and the only way we can get to the bottom of it and arrive at a solution that will suit everyone, depending on what Brexit will allow, is through some kind of formal consultation process.