Dáil debates

Wednesday, 2 July 2008

Fishing Industry: Motion (Resumed)

 

8:00 pm

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

This practice has been foisted on the industry solely by the House, and it is an issue that it can resolve.

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food considered this issue and obtained legal opinion that was entirely at variance with that given by the Attorney General. While the advice of the Attorney General is privileged, I want to see published the letter requesting the advice. If one frames a question in a particular way, one will receive the answer one wants. I do not believe it is impossible to change the law and introduce administrative sanctions.

If one commits an offence in respect of a REPS grant or headage payments, administrative sanctions apply. If one commits a road traffic offence, one is subject to an administrative sanction, as is the case with offences pertaining to inland fisheries. The criminal sanctions imposed on fishermen do not hold water legally. They are the result of the bully-boy tactics of the former Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey. It was the spineless acquiescence of Fine Fáil backbenchers that allowed the legislation to be introduced that criminalised fishermen for minor offences.

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