Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I remind the Taoiseach that he signed the statutory instrument that imposed penalty points on the great fishermen and women of this country in his short time as acting Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2020. At the same time, he was negotiating a disastrous Brexit deal for the same fishermen and women. The statutory instrument he signed has made each and every one of our fishermen liable to become criminals, in many cases whether they are guilty or not. We now find out on Committee Stage that there is another twist in the tale, as it is being proposed by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine that it will be at the behest of the Minister of the day as to what charge will be imposed on a fisherman if he wants to appeal a wrongful decision. A fee of €25 proposed by the Rural Independent Group was rejected. What is proposed now is that different Ministers can put in a small or massive fee if a fisherman wants to appeal a wrongful conviction. I ask the Taoiseach before the amendments are finalised in the Dáil to speak to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine so that a fair fee is set for all fishermen who want to appeal. We must treat them fairly with the only rights they get out of this shockingly unjust Sea-Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

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