Mr. John Ward:

I thank Deputy Browne. With regard to leaving the door open for young people to come back into the fishing industry, it will be impossible for people to come into the industry for the first time unless they have a lot more than the bank of mum and dad behind them to allow them to buy their way into it. We were not the only people who put forward a tonnage bank at the task force. As far as I remember, the idea was first mooted by the fishing co-operatives in Ireland. We were told EU funding and the trade and co-operation agreement scheme could not be used for it, and that the demands on the national Exchequer were such that the Department felt it would never be able to bring such a scheme forward. The other points raised have been adequately covered by my colleague and there is no need for me to add anything.