Mr. Seán O'Donoghue:

What Deputy Ó Cúiv says is correct but if there is only an 8% uptake, there must be a fundamental flaw in the system. One of the fundamental flaws in the system is that money upfront is a major issue. Combining those with other suggestions, such as increasing the pot limits, is a great idea. The receipt system is a major issue. People must be able to get over the idea of financing upfront. It must be examined. We went to great lengths to get the meteorological data to show this was an extreme weather situation. We must take exceptional measures to do something about this. Otherwise, many people will be in financial hardship and some will be in bankruptcy. There is no question about it. While €1.5 million is available, the European maritime and fisheries fund has not been tapped. Unlike the larger fund, there is no prerequisite that people must spend a certain amount. At the moment, it is not legally there but it could be fast tracked. We could accept that we will not get €10 million but we should not set our sights on €1.5 million. This goes for whitefish people as most of them have only had a few days work in three months. There is no social welfare or PRSI system. The system is not fit for purpose. The P rate of social welfare is as good as useless and the fish assist scheme is crazy. People must sell boats in order to claim payment under the scheme. It is madness. The most immediate thing is that the existing scheme is not fit for purpose. It must be changed and we must tap into European funds so that we can broaden it and bring other people into play. It must be done quickly.