Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also oppose these amendments. Fisherman must labour under a duplicate system. There was a criminal aspect prior to this and we now have the procedural, non-criminal effect of the penalty points. The effect is a dual punishment for fishermen. It might be more acceptable if it was an either-or situation, whereby there would be penalty points or prosecution under the other system but, either way, a duplicate system is the wrong way to go about it. I oppose these amendments and will put forward amendments that might lead to the easing of some of the effects of the Bill that will arise later in the debate.

I will ask the Minister a couple of questions about this section of the Bill. Section 15J(2) states "all points in the Irish Fishing Master Register assigned to the master concerned shall be removed and shall be deleted from the Irish Fishing Master Register" if the fisherman receives no other points. Perhaps I am reading this wrong but if one has penalty points on one's licence, they fall after three years, regardless. If one has three points and gets another three points in the third year, that is a total of six. That does not seem to be the situation here. Is it the situation? Perhaps the Minister could clarify that. From reading the Bill, it seems that if an offence is committed within three years, the points become active again and remain on a licence. What is the situation in that regard?

The Bill refers to the registration of Irish citizens. What is the situation if a French person, for example, is skippering a vessel in Killybegs or Castletown? Does that person register on the French fishing register? What about an Irish person who is fishing on a Spanish vessel? Does that person register on the Irish register or the Spanish register? What is the situation in that regard? I would appreciate it if the Minister clarified those points.