Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It did not take the Minister long to learn the Department line. The Minister claimed there is "irresponsible indifference" coming from Deputy Mac Lochlainn, who I commend for bringing forward this motion to the House. The Minister's party colleague drafted the alternative statutory instrument two years ago and brought a motion forward to this House to annul what was nearly an identical statutory instrument, which also penalised fishermen in the Minister's constituency and further afield. That was the first time ever for a statutory instrument to be struck down, yet today the Minister claims that it is "irresponsible indifference".

The reality is this is a kick in the teeth to fishermen across the coast of this State, many of whom are in our county of Donegal. These same fishermen who the Minister wants to impose this regime of penalty points upon see their livelihoods being stolen from them by an overburdensome suite of regulations. They understand, particularly in the inshore sector, the difficulties in not having adequate quotas and they see how super trawlers trawl through the fish off our coasts. These European super trawlers are allowed to plough through the pots of these fishermen, yet when the Naval Service inspectors go on board the super trawlers, they are given hours of warning. They catch thousands of fish, only to dump them again because they are a few millimetres too small. These fishermen understand the need for preservation and conservation but they do not understand the fact that the Minister has brought in and stands over this statutory instrument, which is ridiculous.

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