Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my colleague, Deputy Mac Lochlainn, on tabling this motion. Fianna Fáil's track record in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine since coming to power has been an absolute shambles. When it comes to Fianna Fáil, U-turns, talking out of both sides of the mouth and breaking promises should not really surprise us but its U-turn on the penalty points scheme really takes the biscuit. When we were between the second and third Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine of this Government the Taoiseach sneaked in this statutory instrument. This scheme is seriously flawed. Indeed, the serious legal flaws in this scheme meant that it was scrapped by the previous Dáil, including Fianna Fáil. This same scheme was struck down in 2016 by the Supreme Court, as others have already said.

What the fishermen in my constituency from Clogherhead right the way up to Carlingford want is fairness. That is all they are asking for - fairness. They are not opposed to a penalty point scheme but it must be fair. The main issue raised by fishermen locally is that there is no right to appeal under this statutory instrument, except to the High Court on a point of law. The scheme proposes to enforce sanctions on the balance of probabilities which is too low a standard of proof given that the result of sanctions could be the loss of livelihoods for our fishermen. Penalty points will also remain on a licence even if a fisherman is exonerated in court. Those points will remain attached to the licence quota which will have knock-on effects where a quota or part of a quota is sold on. If sanctions of this type were imposed on motorists or any other group in society, we would not stand for it. Why are unfair and unjust rules for fishermen considered to be okay by this Government? It is difficult to understand how the three Government parties can stand over such a flawed system. Fishermen are sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens by successive governments and this scheme is further evidence that this attitude lives on in the new coalition. SI 318 must be annulled.

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