Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also congratulate Deputy Gallagher on introducing this motion. If we, as a Parliament, did not scrutinise this statutory instrument, the third statutory instrument in a series, we would be accused of being grossly derelict in our duties. However, when we did so, all we got were briefings from the Department that my party was endangering the country's future and would bring all sorts of fines down upon us. How much was spent on fighting cases in the Supreme Court over the previous two statutory instruments that were struck down which led us to this situation? How much time was spent trying to get to this statutory instrument, which should have been spent on engagement with Deputy Gallagher and the industry in an attempt to resolve the situation before it came to this?

We have until Tuesday for the Minister to lay out some sort of pathway to resolve this, taking into account the very fair issues outlined by Deputy Gallagher regarding the burden of proof, the rights of appeal, penalty points capacity and some sort of realistic appeals timeframe, bearing in mind the people we are dealing with, the pressure on their time and the fact that this is not a desk job. Being a fisherman is the furthest from a desk job imaginable. Their ability to respond to appeals or to charges needs to be factored in.

Some reports have indicated that the Attorney General, who is quite in the news at the moment, expressed some concerns about this new penalty-points regime at the end of March. Given that he has already referred to one item of legislation going through this House as a "dog's dinner", I am not quite sure what term he would use for this. Maybe there should be some sort of liaison with his concerns brought to the Opposition's attention so that we could all find a collective arrangement to deal with those concerns.

While it is good that the Minister, Deputy Creed, is taking responsibility for marine issues and is bringing them to the Cabinet table, he needs backup. He has justifiably spent a huge amount of time travelling abroad establishing new markets for beef and fish. However, issues such as this are being left to the last minute in this kind of manner. Consideration should be given to having a Minister of State with responsibility for the marine, as Deputy Gallagher had some time ago, in order that these issues do not arise at the last minute.

Many of our smaller fishing communities feel completely alienated from the work of this House and the European Union. They feel they have paid the price of Ireland's membership of the European Union since we acceded to the European Economic Community in 1973. We need to use our collective imagination as representatives, and as policymakers and use the new opportunities that are there in terms of Brexit but also in terms of other issues, such our response to climate change and tourism, to respond to that alienation and to tell our small fishing communities that they have a viable future and that we respect their right to play a part in this Republic. That sense of alienation is getting deeper. Many of these communities are dying on their feet. The way this issue has been handled is adding to the sense that marine issues are not a priority, not just for the Government but for the central government system full stop. If we deal with this collectively as an Oireachtas and deal with it in a progressive way working together, we can start addressing these issues and lay some sort of pathway to addressing that alienation.

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