Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I thank the witnesses for coming in today. It is good to listen to the concerns. There are a lot of concerns there. The first thing is that a producer organisation should be funded. That is one thing that we should recommend from this committee to the Minister to try to push for funding. At the end of the day, the witnesses are doing the work. People need to be paid for their time and their travel and looking after the communities on the islands.

The social welfare payments for fishermen needs to be totally reformed. We were no burden to the State. We went out and when we came home there was no social welfare. When somebody gets sick or something like that, there is always a problem in a household. We need to talk to the Minister for Social Protection to see whether we can get a package set up for small fishing organisations. Last week alone, I dealt with a man in Donegal hurt his back and he was off. Like myself, he is self-employed and is entitled to nothing. By the time he gets through the social welfare system, it could take 12 months. There has to be a way that a fisherman can get through the system far quicker. The witnesses know better than me. They could be allowed to fish two days this week because of the weather and they might not get out for another three weeks. What is a family to live on? I cannot get it into my head why the likes of the Minister's officials cannot see this. I am steady saying it because I am hearing it back. When people are self-employed, they get no funding at all. By the time they are out the other side of it and trying to get back, they will come with a look of pittance then. I totally agree with that.

Island infrastructure was raised. I know from being on islands that the infrastructure is not there. We need to put a push on piers too and that capital expenditure is spent on islands, even on health and safety grounds for fishermen landing their catch. When I was on one of the islands, two men were lifting fish boxes with ropes. In this day and age it is totally wrong. The infrastructure and social welfare need to be looked at. The 2014 report needs to be implemented and Article 17 needs to be revisited. A lot of stuff needs to be done.

Mr. Early made a good point earlier. ICES and all these organisations are making scientific reports. I talk to fishermen on a weekly basis and ask them where the herring or sprat are in the bays. They are not asked any questions at all. They are the boys who are out there at the coalface. It is no different from Ms Kavanagh and her comments on pollock. If there is pollock out there, the fishermen will know. The fisherman never gets to feed into the scientific issues and that is totally wrong. From what I am hearing in Killybegs all weekend, the boarfish needs to be culled. There are far too many of them. That is the fisherman's advice who is out fishing every day, but nobody wants to listen.

There are a lot of points I would like the witnesses to come back on. Where could we try to do something on the infrastructure? I am trying to work hard on the social welfare issue in order that a social welfare package is put in place for fishermen so that they can get something for the days they cannot fish.