John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

The Ombudsman is investigating the allegation that this scheme was, as she has stated, seriously flawed. It was closed down within 24 weeks. The Byrne family lost a father and a son and three members of the crew, and it was quite extraordinary that the Department did not have the file on this.

There were 120 files. Senior civil servants advised the then Minister, Deputy Fahey, that he should not have announced this scheme, but he wanted this scheme to be ring-fenced to between six to eight files and 75% of the funding allocated went to two of his constituents.

This has been in the public domain time and time again. Is the Minister of State saying that when the Ombudsman reports this matter will be dealt with decisively? This scheme was dealing retrospectively, from 1980 onwards, with vessels lost at sea. It was quite extraordinary that the Department did not have a record of one of the biggest losses off the Irish coast; the family had not been contacted and the announcement was concealed. This case must be dealt with decisively. It is extraordinary that we must go to the Ombudsman to deal with this case when the Minister should be dealing with it.

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