Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I do not wish to be disrespectful, as Ms McSherry is answering the questions she is asked, but why has there been such resistance within the Department to hook-and-line fishers in recent years? Why will it not give a bit more quota to small fishers, particularly on the west coast, who are depending on it for their livelihoods? Ms McSherry and I know it is a difficult life and anything those fishers get is well earned. They should get supports. I do not know whether there is the same resistance in Europe as there is within the Department. To be fair to them, the fishers are saying that, if they get the quota and do not use it, they are fine with it being taken back, but they have been looking for quota for the past few years. Everyone knows that the larger fishers – the ones coming in with the big boats sweeping up everything – are cleaning up. Alongside our own, large fishers from outside Europe are coming in, but there is not much we are doing about them. We should be doing more to protect our own fishers. Not just the Department, but the Government needs to consider at national level why our fishers are not being protected. Why will the Department not give them a bit extra quota? They have been looking for it for the past few years. They are finding the going difficult. They are reasonable people. Extra mackerel quota has been awarded by Europe, so why could we have not given a small bit of it to the hook-and-line people?