Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

What I would also say is that was clear from the outset, in advance of the announcement of the tie-up schemes. It would have been clear that for anybody taking the tie-up scheme, it would have to be deducted from the decommissioning scheme. It is not something that would have come late in the day. Anybody who was considering the decommissioning would have been aware of that. Some vessels tied up as they did not plan to decommission. This meant that those vessels that did not tie up could avail of the additional quota available from tied up vessels. There would have been some benefit for those considering the decommissioning scheme as they probably would have avoided taking the tie-up scheme. They would have kept fishing and availed of the extra quota during those months because one in three boats were tied up. However, as Mr. Rihan has said, this was an insistence from the European Commission. It was not optional. It was clear from the outset and clear in advance of the tie-up scheme. I do not think there will be many who are planning to decommission who would have availed of the tie-up scheme as they would have been aware of the situation in advance. They would have been more likely to stay fishing.