Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that the Minister is developing a scheme, which is very much needed at this time. I spoke to one fisherman who is trying to take out a personal loan of €10,000 to do up his punt and to replace the pots he has lost. The loan puts himself and his family under incredible pressure. I would appreciate if the Minister would speed up the development of the scheme to which he refers because it is hugely important to inshore fishermen. They are hard-working people. The Minister knows as well as I do the number of hours they put in and the dangers associated with their job. They have to ensure their punts are top quality to cope with the rough water they face and the long hours they spend at sea. There was a terrible storm in October which cost many of them tens of thousands of euro and they are now trying to replace what they have lost. The fishermen cannot go back out on the water because the water temperature is very low so their catch is at an all-time low. They are in severe difficulty at this time and I would appreciate if the Minister would work very quickly to provide a scheme to try to help them.

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