Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

They are few enough in number. In respect of the fund and the specific measures to support inshore fishermen affected by significant losses arising from adverse weather events, the EMFF and the operational programme provide for the establishment by fishermen of a mutual fund for adverse climatic events and environmental incidents, which when established, can provide aid to fishermen affiliated to the fund in line with predefined rules. The operational programme will co-fund the mutual fund, together with subscriptions from member fishermen. In that case, the viability of such a mutual fund is dependent on the extent to which fishermen commit to membership of that fund. Incidentally, the Minister will discuss with fishing representatives how they may establish this mutual fund over the coming year. As the Deputy rightly points out, it is important that people in this industry are not simply regulated, as they are but that also, in times of adverse weather conditions when they simply cannot work, they should be treated as would be all other industries, that is, when they cannot work there must be some safety net or fallback position for them. This is one step and there may be others because the Department of Social Protection has been invited to a meeting in the near future at which all these matters will be discussed.

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