Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

If this legislation is about an EU harmonisation of sanctions, is the 30 days the de facto position across all member states? Is each member state implementing a 30-day regime? If that is the case, so be it; there is consistency. However, we plead mitigation in these circumstances. Given the particular variations in an Irish scenario where fishermen are fishing quite far from their home base, as has been articulated by Deputy Pringle, there is scope to plead for some mitigation to allow for a greater number of days to be provided when preparing one's case, as it were. That is simply what the amendment seeks to do. Is the Government tied to the 30 days so as to be ad idemwith the position of other member states or does the Government have scope how it transposes the EU rules?

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