Ms Eibhlín O'Sullivan:

I was going to make the same point. From my perspective, and my questioning of people, that is one of the biggest reasons people have not applied for the scheme. There have been 151 applications but that does not mean there will be 151 grant payments. I give, as an example, one of my members, who is here with us today. Mr. Healy made an application and he can tell us about it in a minute. He knows that he will not be able to fulfil the requirements of the application because he cannot access finance to buy the pots in order to claim the grant payment afterwards. That is why FIF, in its paper, highlighted both the UK and the Northern Ireland schemes. For example, the Northern Ireland scheme provides a flat payment regardless of whether one is inshore, offshore or whatever and the payment is linked to the size of vessel. One does not have to produce receipts either because they know that people will have to buy gear. We have all made the same point here today. Unfortunately, because people do not have gear, have suffered damage to their boat or have had no income for the past three or four months and cannot replace the gear, they cannot go fishing.

I appreciate the suggestions to improve the scheme made by Deputy Ó Cuív. I also appreciate the points made by the Chairman and Deputy Ferris about removing the requirement to spend the money upfront. Their suggestions would be very useful and would probably greatly increase interest in the scheme.

Not to put too fine a point on it, and this is a message that I have tried to hammer home - I apologise to the various Deputies around the table who have heard from me over the past couple of months - there is European maritime fisheries funding available. MEPs, the Commission and, of all people, Maria Damanaki, have confirmed that funding is available under the EMFF which should hopefully be in place in June or July of this year but can be backdated to the start of the year.

I wish to make an important point. Member states are working on their operational programmes which they had to develop to administer these funds. If they do not allow for the possibility of using the money, for such purposes as compensation for storm events, they will not be able to remedy the matter afterwards. That is why it is very important that the matter is included in Ireland's operational programme and this meeting is as good an opportunity as any to make that point.

I shall briefly hand over to Mr. Healy and ask him to explain why he made an application which, more than likely, will not lead to him receiving cash from the compensation scheme.