Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

The next area I want to look at is financial supports. There were a number of points made in the presentation. The witnesses rightly compared the financial subsidies available in other areas of the Irish economy and society. The one I always think about is farmers. They get single farm payment assistance under the Common Agricultural Policy, and rightly so. I can never understand why something similar is not in place for fishermen. The witnesses also spoke about access to social welfare and the fish assist scheme being less than minuscule in comparison to what is needed. I tabled a parliamentary question not that long ago. The number of fishing families throughout the State who get assistance is approximately 50. I believe it is 51. This is absolutely tiny. It means the scheme is not working. This absolutely backs up the point the witnesses have made.

The witnesses also made a point on grant applications with regard to paper copies and dealing with the bureaucracy. I ask them to speak about this. Ideally from the position of their association, what type of financial supports would work? When I speak to inshore fishermen they always say they want fish first. This is absolutely sound. Across the board, species are being tightened. I am fervently of the belief that financial support is necessary in the inshore sector to keep it in the water. The Irish people would want this. What is the ballpark? Where does the sector need to be in terms of financial supports, social welfare supports and grant assistance?