Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support this amendment. It is reasonable. This Bill provides for a lot of blows to fishermen and what they do. Then it provides that the appeal should be accompanied by a fee which may be determined by the Minister. This Minister might be okay and amenable to a lesser fee, but he is going to revisit this from time to time and it could become another unfair burden. We will see what fee will be arrived at, but it could be set at €1,000, €1,500, €2,000 or €3,000. What will the fee be? That is a very serious matter because not only does somebody have an administrative sanction, the person will also have a criminal sanction and then will have a fee to pay to have an appeal heard in this respect. The cost of the appeal should be prescribed in the legislation to provide for some type of fairness and to ensure that people who have to work under the system will know what it will cost them at that stage. I fully support this amendment, and all members should support it.