Mr. Michael Desmond:

On the question the Deputy asked about whether other EU countries are able to avail of subsidies for their inshore fisheries, the answer is "Yes". In Spain, the inshore fishermen are able to get fuel subsidies and direct subsidies from the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF. Even though we had the double whammy of Covid and everything else, within that, the European Commissioner for fisheries, Mr. Sinkeviius, brought in Article 26.2. This states that, because of the war in Ukraine, each coastal state can use as it sees fit, money to target the fishing sectors that were affected by the disruption in the market. On 13 December 2022, it was read out for the Minister and then it was not applied for. In 2023, it was not applied for. We told the Department it was there. They told us it was not and now we have had confirmation in January of this year that yes, in fact, it was there, but we are too late.

That is why we are here. The committee will be told by the Department that there is no money available because there really is not this year. Could the committee, possibly from somewhere else within the other rural developments or enterprise give something to the fishermen? It would not amount to 1% of the farmers in Ireland