Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. In regard to the pot compensation scheme and the very low take-up, with 151 applying for it, much of that is down to the restrictions the Minister mentioned and the fact that people had to produce receipts for pots bought in the past. Many people do not have those receipts and that prevented people from trying to avail of the fund.

I refer to the fisheries fund and the loss of earnings, particularly for share fishermen, who, partially through their own fault, do not have access to any type of social welfare payment, although they can go to the community welfare officer to try to beg for money. However, that is not working out. We need some type of fund.

Can the Minister confirm that funding can be applied for retrospectively in order to help fishermen who face awful losses? If they do not get some help, many of them will be out of business as a consequence.

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