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

The difficulty with the mutual fund is that fishermen have to put money into the fund. I live in the area. I know the difficulties they have and the Minister probably has a good idea of them also. They have insurance and bank loans. They have to replace gear on an annual basis and try to find funding to do that. They are existing, not living. That is the problem. Some 80% of the Irish fishing fleet is in those circumstances.

A bit of imagination is needed. I am been working on this issue for quite some time. In the farming sector there was the single farm payment, now the basic payment scheme, from the European Union. Perhaps we should have a fishing payment scheme under the EU to help these people survive. Every cent the people involved in that sector earn is spent in their local community.

The Minister mentioned the Department of Social Protection and supports. I raised this issue four years ago and I have raised it every year, namely, the difficulties experienced by fishermen in order to access some support from the Department of Social Protection. It is not happening and it is not going to happen because the political will is not there.

I do not think the Tánaiste understands what it means to live in rural Ireland or a coastal community and the difficulties people living in such areas face. One has to be from these environments and part of that culture to understand it. She does not have a clue. She passes reports to her officials and they gather dust on shelves.

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