Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The situation in which we find ourselves is a result of the Government trying to push through the Bill and the penalty points system. It looks as if fishermen on the water are damned if they do and damned if they do not. It seems that fishermen who are innocent will be landed with penalty points. Even if fishermen can prove their innocence, they will still be on their backs, as such. It is something I have been asked to oppose every step of the way, and I will.

That is one of many measures that are causing massive difficulties to fishermen and which led to the recent large peaceful protests in Cork and Dublin. Fishermen cannot and will not take any more of this pressure. The penalty points system was looked at before the UK left the EU. It seems the UK has brought in a more favourable system for its fishermen. It is time for the Government to stand up to Europe a small bit and fight for Irish fishermen, who have been the whipping boys of Europe for the past 20, 25 or 30 years. They have had enough of it. They see nothing coming back from Europe in terms of the quota. There have been meetings, talks and discussions that have all been about kicking the can down the road, a bit like the situation in the farming sector. Those fishermen are told they might get something next year, the year after or the year after that and it is hard luck if they get nothing. It is not a worry for the Taoiseach, who signed the statutory instrument. He will not be there. He says he can renegotiate fishing quotas in a couple of years' time but he will not be in the top job at that stage so what is going to happen does not worry him. The bottom line is here and now. I oppose these amendments.