Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I thank my colleagues on all sides of the House for their contributions to the debate. I concur with the assessment of the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, in that the debate has been excellent and informative. It addressed, in the necessary detail, all the issues having an impact on the fishing industry and the opportunities for fishermen to make a living. The question that remains to be answered is whether the will of the House, as expressed by Members on all sides, will be reflected in the vote on the matter tonight.

It is not possible, in the time remaining, to address all the issues but I will address a number of the critical ones. We are primarily talking about people whose livelihoods are flashing in front of their eyes who may not be in a position to go to work tomorrow, next week or certainly next month, which is in the critical timeframe. The meeting of the Council of Ministers on 15 July is the last chance for many fishermen.

I am extremely concerned about the amendment to the motion tabled by the Government. It concentrates exclusively on the view that "the current short-term difficulties . . . require to be addressed by a common EU-funded approach" and refers to efforts to "secure an EU-funded package". What if Commissioner Borg who has a very good grasp of the fishing industry states to the Council of Ministers on 15 July that his package contains EU-funded measures and permits State funding? The Minister and Minister of State should have made us certain tonight that Irish fishermen will not be at a competitive disadvantage after 15 July vis-À-vis their French or Spanish counterparts, with whom they compete every single day when they go fishing. Their diesel prices and the prices they receive in the market are contingent on their playing on a level playing pitch. If it is the case that the French and Spanish exchequers are in a position to finance a state-aid measure, Irish fishermen must not be left swinging in the wind for the want of Exchequer funding.

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