Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to what the Minister said. The one word that comes up the whole time is "considering". Everything is being considered. The shrimp market was gone in 2022. The crab market went to the floor in 2023. Within a month, pollock was gone. This is serious stuff. That is how these people make their living. We cannot emphasise that more.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn and I were in Kilmore meeting the inshore fishermen. A fisherman wrote a heart-rending letter to us. His friend had sent him a letter to say he was going to pick up a coffin because he was gone - he could not survive any more, as he could not fish. That is the seriousness of the situation.

The Minister spoke about the fuel. I cannot see anything wrong with giving a fuel subsidy, in the sense that a time limit could be put on it. He could say it is for six months or nine months and that is it. Will there be a compensation scheme? We hear about all the stuff that is going on with little titbits here and there. These people are in a serious situation. They are in trouble. I know the Minister is not responsible for the market, but it has gone. In May, for instance, lobster was €32 per kilo and now it is €14.50. That is completely unsustainable. A fisher will not make a profit or feed a family on that basis. It is a difficult situation.

The Minister mentioned the BAR. The inshore fishermen are the ones excluded from the BAR. Some €120 million was returned unspent, yet we have this situation here now. I invite him to make a statement in that regard.