Deputy Michael Collins:

I support the amendment tabled by Deputy Mac Lochlainn. It is clear there is a massive difference between a minor infringement and an extremely serious one. That needs to be clarified. As I stated in respect of the amendment relating to the fee for appeal, we do not know, even at this stage, what the fees will be, but we are supposed to be discussing this document in its final stages. If fishers ask me tonight what the fees will be, I will not be able to answer. We are supposed to be at the tail end of this Bill, and the Government has made sure that all these amendments will not be taken into account. There are many minor infringements out on the waters that should be taken account of in a manner other than penalty points. It seems that the penalty points we are discussing will be imposed on fishermen, regardless of whether they are innocent. I find that difficult and very unfair. I ask the Minister to give full consideration to the amendment. It is only fair that he do so. Fishermen have been treated terribly unfairly in recent years. I have been calling for a stand-alone Minister for fisheries, be that Deputy McConalogue or another Deputy in government, to be at the table for each and every set of negotiations. That is a red-line issue for me because the great resource we have off our coast at Castletownbere, Donegal, Wexford, Galway and such places is being thrown away and handed over as a little bargaining chip-----