Ms Edel McGinley:

We do not have a full figure for the undocumented in the fishing sector but from work we have done previously we estimate that there are between 20,000 and 26,000 undocumented in the State. They include fishermen as well as workers in restaurants, hotels and in a range of other areas. The scheme was introduced in an attempt to rectify the situation but it did not work. That does not mean the scheme is defunct, but it needs to be reviewed and facilitated much better. It is very difficult to apply for permits as the system is very bureaucratic. The power is in the hands of the employer and against the employee because the employer must make the application and bring in a model work permit. That is a real problem. There is mobility in the scheme but it is not being used. As we are aware, there is a lot of exploitation. If one wants to leave one boat and move to another boat one should be able to do that easily and quickly but there are not enough resources in the Department of Justice and Equality to enable that to work quickly. We have a problem and there is a solution but it is just not working properly. The Department of Justice and Equality wants to introduce a range of schemes to deal with the undocumented. It is not interested in a blanket regularisation, it is interested in schemes for different sectors. That is one of those types of scheme but we have to get it right. We are told the Department will introduce other schemes on the undocumented and this one is a wedge of that.