Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

We need to be careful about some things in this regard. First, anything we do sets a precedent. I cannot have a situation where there will be an expectation that everybody's rent in fisheries harbours will be reduced dramatically. That will not happen. My commitment, however, is that I will not force people who cannot afford it to continue to pay rates that are above what the going rate should be because there happens to be an upward only rent review clause. In other words, I want a fair assessment on a case by case basis. Where people feel they are being unfairly treated and overcharged, and their businesses are in trouble as a result, we wish to show some understanding. However, this is not moving towards some type of amnesty or a 10% reduction across the board or anything similar. We will examine cases and try to put structures in place to take account of that and, at the same time, facilitate the commercial running of fisheries harbours, which is the Department's responsibility.

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