Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not intend to engage in any spin. I will talk directly to the fishers generally and to the fish producer organisations. The purpose of yesterday's meeting with all the organisations across the country was to have a no-holds-barred meeting. It cannot be ping-pong with one side standing back attacking the other. That achieves nothing. That is why the Minister established the seafood sector task force. Agreement was reached on an initial application of funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund which would provide support to counter the adverse consequences of Brexit and to help fishers in the immediate timeframe ahead. The task force will then return to a broader application of funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund to see how we can in the medium term support fishers and also the coastal communities supported by fishing.

As the Deputy notes, the Government has provided substantial supports to Castletownbere, a harbour close to his heart. In May, the Minister announced a substantial capital programme in that respect and we also want to support fishing communities through the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund. We want to support primarily the fishers themselves who are under considerable pressure from both Brexit and the decision by the European Commission in respect of the control plan.

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