Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I do not know whether he can answer me, but there are 33 cases of suspected fraud according to the report. How were they identified? From where does the estimated figure of more than 40,000 tonnes come? How many factories are suspected as having been involved in the fraud? Is it the case that there are a few rogue factories but the whole industry is being painted with the same brush? The fisheries groups that have appeared before us have denied point blank any fraud. I do not understand what the fishing industry has done to find itself being governed by standards that it is widely acknowledged would not be accepted in any other industry for even one minute.

The issue of the report being leaked arose during the week. It is crazy that the report was out in December and sections of the media had it before the fishers.

I wish to refer to the penalty point system and weighing. Can the Minister justify any situation in which points would remain on a master's record even if the outcome of the prosecution found that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing? Does he believe this is a fair and equitable way of treating an industry? According to his opening statement, a level playing field must be established across the EU's fisheries. This happens nowhere else in Europe, though, so saying that it is about a level playing field is a fallacy. The industry is dealing with the outcome of Brexit, it is competing with other nations for which the same penalty point system does not apply, and it is now being told that it must tie up at ports to weigh catches in a manner that could affect quality, will be time consuming and could be costly for the fishers. Who would want to be involved in an industry in which the balance of probability could determine whether he or she could continue trading?

I wish to raise two issues as regards weighing. Is the Minister concerned that the added workload and financial cost associated with all of this will cost jobs?

Many of the operators are economically marginal. That came across in the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation's submission to us.

Second, how aware is the EU of the level of concern officials have expressed about this sudden change? What discussions has the Department had with the Commission on this? Has the Department relayed our fishers' concerns to the Commission?