Ms Trudy McIntyre:

On behalf of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, I thank the joint committee for the invitation to attend the meeting.

The fishing vessels that come within the remit of the NIFF are trawlers, lobster and crab boats, whelks, razor, scallopers, gill-netters and small pelagics. The very nature of this meeting, the atypical work permit scheme and the position of the non-EEA crew on Irish fishing vessels do not cause any direct involvement for us, as under our terms of reference, we represent fishing vessels under 12 m, while the scheme has been designed for vessels over 15 m.

On the atypical work permit scheme, the NIFF has no formal position on what is a complex issue. To explain this, I will reiterate our chairman’s explanation at another committee meeting:

On policy and legislative issues such as this, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, takes direction from the six Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums, RIFFs.NIFF tries to form consensus based on the views expressed from each individual regional forum.

Following on from this, no formal issues have been identified or raised by any of the RIFFs in relation to the scheme, as it stands. Notwithstanding this, however, we would like to point out that the issues with lack of crew that our colleagues in the whitefish and prawn sectors face now also pose a big issue for fishing vessels in the under-12 m sector. Whether this is a direct result of skilled inshore crewmen heading into positions that may have been occupied by our non-EEA co-workers remains to be seen, but the fact of the matter is that we are finding it more difficult to crew our vessels with skilled, trained and competent individuals who understand what their jobs will entail. Life at sea is tough, regardless of the vessel one is on. Every fishery comes with its own challenges, even more so in the inshore sector as our jobs are more weather-dependent than for those on larger vessels. Our size often leaves us without income for weeks on end. Being a self-employed fisherman on any boat, one understands that when one is not fishing, one does not get paid. One understands one can haul one's nets or pots for a couple of boxes of fish or crabs that will not earn enough to cover the expenses to enable the boat to go out fishing that day or for that trip and one comes home with little or no money. One thing we are guaranteed is that there are no guarantees.

Considering these challenges, we would like to see the atypical permit scheme extended to the under-12 m sector, something which was mentioned as an option under consideration by the Government on a "Prime Time" programme segment on 6 April this year pertaining to the non-EEA fishermen in the fishing industry. We are calling for a scheme that could be adapted to include the inshore sector in a manner that would be fair to all. We acknowledge the complex issues with the scheme, but we are willing to come to the table to see what can be done in that respect.

I take the opportunity to relay a few observations from my own personal experience outside the NIFF on some of the circumstances surrounding the scheme.

We have enough people here today speaking about the facts and issues surrounding why we are here. I would like to tell the committee a bit about the other side of this awful story, one that has garnered much less attention and acknowledgement.

I am a proud member of the Irish fishing industry and take my participation in this industry very seriously. I take great offence at the recent attacks on the Irish fishing industry and the corresponding effort to paint us all with the same vile brush by individuals who know little or nothing about what it takes to be a fisherman or to be involved in the fishing community. In Ireland everyone is so quick to believe what is printed. A person is guilty until proven innocent and having to prove one's innocence often comes at a huge financial and personal cost. The losses incurred are felt by all those involved in the business, be it ashore or on the boat. What that also does is break a person. It causes mental anguish, it attacks his or her character, makes that person paranoid about what is going on and about who he or she can trust. The ripple effect extends to that person's family and to see that person crying and being hurt at the accusations being made against him or her is one of the hardest things anyone will ever go through. I know this because my dad, Lenny Hyde, and his business partner, Pat O'Mahony, have been living this for well over 15 months, and even today when hearing anything to do with this issue, they relive the nightmare.

Another proud member of the fishing community, Lia Ní Aodha, sent an open letter to the editor of The Guardian in response to an article published in that newspaper on 2 November 2015. She quite rightly states that the article unfairly and unnecessarily damages a small industry on the edge of Europe and harms the livelihoods of good, honest people, not only Irish skippers and crews but also the non-Irish. Further, it defames countless hard-working people, their families and their colleagues and causes insurmountable hurt to individuals, their families and their communities. She pointed out that the instances referred to in the article "are isolated and the exception rather than the norm". The people who may be guilty of the mistreatment of others do not differentiate between Egyptians, Filipinos, Irish, or with respect to skin colour. They treat everyone the same. This is a reflection of the person, perhaps, not knowing any different, carrying out his or her duties, oblivious to his or her ignorance and moral duties. These very people who have been spoken about in many interviews by the International Transport Workers Federation, ITF, have still not been brought to justice despite the “reams and reams” of evidence allegedly gathered against them. I am curious to know if this evidence and information has been handed over to An Garda Síochána and investigated.

At this committee meeting's meeting on 4 July, the Chair asked whether this is a racist issue. Mr. Ken Flemming of the ITF answered that it was. I absolutely disagree with that answer.Across all levels of society, one will find individuals in positions of power who mistreat people in pay grades below them. If the owner of a restaurant mistreats one of his employees, does that mean every restaurant owner is guilty of the same? I put it to the committee this way. Just because one or two individuals within the fishing sector of more than 2,000 fishing vessels may be guilty of mistreatment, why is the whole industry on trial?

I came across a presentation by the ITF and SIPTU to Seafish in Scotland. The last two points of that presentation got me really thinking. They read as follows:

As the internationally recognised premier organisation involved in looking after the welfare of seafarers the ITF is willing to inspect all Irish vessels and certify whether or not they comply with the ETI. ETI firms should only purchase produce from ITF certified vessels.

If the ITF and SIPTU are so concerned about bringing justice to the allegedly mistreated fishermen, why has this been drawn out? Why do they not hand over the information as it comes in? What of the dozens of fishermen whom the ITF has holed up in safe houses? Would these men not prefer to be at home with their families? In Irish law is it not illegal knowingly to assist an illegal immigrant to stay in the country? Withholding information from An Garda Síochána is a criminal offence. It is an offence that is not tolerated in the fishing industry, but it seems to be acceptable for the ITF to do so. Discrimination comes in many forms and can be interpreted by individuals as a personal attack. As an Irish citizen and a member of the Irish fishing community, I feel that we are being discriminated against by organisations and persons with an ulterior motive.