Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

There is a majority in this House because this coalition includes virtually every Deputy in Fianna Fáil with an interest in fisheries. I have spoken to many of them who encouraged us to proceed with these amendments. Above all, our approach has the support of people along our coast line, from north Donegal to my constituency of Cork South-West and along the south and east coasts. The Minister mentioned on Committee Stage, when he shifted ground to his last assertion, that administrative sanctions were unsuitable. For whom are they unsuitable? The Minister might find them unsuitable, but they are suitable for everyone else. All sides of this House and every country in Europe finds them suitable so why are they unsuitable for Ireland?

I could finish very strongly and be very critical of the Minister but I will refrain from doing so. I will make a last-ditch, honest appeal on behalf of all sides of this House to the Minister, the only person who is out of step with general opinion on this issue. He will prove himself to be a better man and a stronger Minister if he is prepared to accept our approach to this issue. We will all co-operate with him in hammering out what is needed from the perspective of available time in this House and the perspective of the legislative and drafting effort needed. We are not insisting on any particular approach. I am sure the same applies to my colleagues who have put forward ideas. We will co-operate with the Minister, provided he accepts the principle of administrative sanctions. If this principle is accepted and the political will to achieve it is there, it can and will be achieved and a Bill will be quickly produced of which he and the country can be proud.

See this speech in context