Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the two previous speakers. Both of these amendments go to the very heart of the unfairness of this scheme and there is no point in saying anything different to that. As Deputy Collins has said, Irish fishermen must be treated the same as these big international boats.

Even in the event of a successful appeal to a conviction on the balance of probability, it is just crazy that the points should remain on the licence. In effect, the conviction itself remains. That is bonkers stuff. If he takes a step back and thinks about this rationally, I feel that the Minister will agree with this also. As Deputy Collins has said, it appears that no matter what kind of amendment is brought in by the Opposition, or how fair such an amendment makes the position for fishermen, it will be voted down.

Let us look at a hypothetical situation. If a garda pulls me going home from here this evening and believes that I have been speeding, he will inform me of this and take his eye off the road. If I go to court I will be convicted or perhaps cleared. In the latter case, those penalty points that would have been on my licence will disappear. With this law, I believe these points will remain on a fisherman’s licence for ten years. It is crazy stuff. I am asking the Minister to look at this again rationally, to step back and to accept the two amendments that are in front of him to make this system fair for people who go out on a daily basis and put their lives at risk.

They know the system that needs to be put in place and they have said it. Deputy Collins has repeated this as he has met the fishermen. We have met them, as has the Minister. This is the message that is coming across from the fishermen. They know that penalty points have to be there but all they want is a fair system. What is being put in front of us here today is not fair and it is as simple as that. I am pleading with the Minister to look at this rationally, take a step back and let us put a wording into this document so that fishermen, when they go out to sea, know they are being treated fairly. I will leave it at that as this has arisen over and over again at committee, in the Dáil and here again today. We are just asking for a little fairness and that this issue be looked at.