Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also want to speak on behalf of the fishermen of our country. I refer to fishermen operating right around our coasts from Castletownbere, Dingle and Berehaven and all areas along the west coast, whether in counties Mayo, Donegal or wherever. These fishermen have been badly let down. Being let down is now being compounded by other issues as well, including the sacking of the former European Commissioner, Phil Hogan, and two Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This all happened while the important CAP talks were going on and it meant that we had no organised attempt to defend our fishermen. Their quotas have been further reduced and they are not getting the protection of our marine protection vessels that are supposed to defend them. They have been badly let down.

Indeed, this group of people came, at savage expense, up the Liffey and moored their boats on the river here across from the convention centre. To say that they had organised and thought out their entire protest and presentation would be an understatement. They were very organised. Perhaps 20 of those fishermen spoke one after the other and no one repeated what the first fella had said. Their stories were very interesting and they made a real impression on me and all the elected Members to whom I spoke about the protest. It was the most organised demonstration that I have seen in front of us during the six years I have been representing the county of Kerry.

No proper attempt was made at the talks on fishing in Brussels, and I think we were not even represented at some of those talks. That is how bad the story is. Yet, the French Government made sure that it got what it wanted for its fishermen. It did not let its crowd down. I can honestly say, however, that our fishermen have been let down. They are not looking for handouts. All they want is more fishing quota. This weighing regime that the fishermen are being asked to undertake is not being required of foreign fishermen landing catches in harbours on our shores. This measure must be got rid of right away.

Our fishermen need protection when foreign boats are threatening or ramming them. They are not getting that protection. I really appreciate the fishermen. I know a lot of them who are based along the coast. They work part time at fishing and do a small bit of farming and maybe a small bit of building. By massive ingenuity, they eke out a living. They need fishing to be protected. We cannot let them die away. I can see what it costs to put fishing vessels to sea, because those boats do not land out of the sky.

There is massive expense there. Can the Minister imagine how they are suffering with the cost of diesel and fuel since the increase, and being charged carbon tax on top of it?

See this speech in context