That was a fair comment. I question if it is unusual for an officeholder of such independent standing to make such an invitation. That is a relevant question. The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources informed the Ombudsman that the sole objective and purpose of the scheme was to enable qualifying applicants, who were otherwise unable to do so for financial and other reasons, to provide a replacement capacity for the purpose of introducing a replacement fishing vessel, in respect of fishing boats lost at sea between 1980 and the establishment of the new fishing boat register in 1990, in order to continue a family tradition of sea fishing in situations where immediate family members were engaged in the industry. The objective and purpose of the scheme was clear, transparent and unambiguous.

If any Minister was to set up a similar scheme to keep the family fishing tradition going-----

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