Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is not a big fishing industry in Limerick. However, there are industries that are supported by fisheries. My Rural Independent Group colleagues have major fisheries in their counties and I support them. I have listened to everyone who has contributed to the debate. The media are currently asking which Deputies have a second job. I have been self-employed all my life. I understand what the fishers are going through because they have been self-employed all their lives. Most of the Rural Independents have been self-employed all their lives. Why do the members of the Rural Independent Group make so much sense? It is because we understand business and hardship. Whether a part of an SME or in another job, 51% of the people in Ireland are self-employed. We give jobs to 51% of the people of Ireland.

Some of the contributions tonight said the Minister was on the side of the fishermen a number of years ago before he became a Minister. He had morals when he said for years that he was standing up for the fishermen and fisherwomen of this country. Has he sold them out for the position he holds?

Irish people are known for their culture. People in Europe recognise the Irish culture, including its farming culture and fishing culture. All our cultures are recognised. The only people who are selling out the Irish culture are the members of the Government. They are selling out our culture, industries and SMEs to Europe. The Minister was sent to Europe to fight for our country and the people of Ireland, no matter what industry they are in. All Ministers are there to fight for us. The Minister sold us out. He sold out 85% of the fisheries in Ireland. Does it not resonate with him, what he has done in the position he is in?

I do not say it light-heartedly but there is a fierce problem in our Government at the moment. We have too many career politicians. People in the Opposition, such as the Rural Independent Group, are bringing to the table the opinions of the grassroots membership of the parties that the Government members once stood up for. The second politicians get into a position, they let civil servants rule them. The Minister should be taking on his Department and telling his officials what to do. Those officials should not be telling him things he does not agree with. The Minister is left going around in circles saying he did not say this or that. Deputy Mac Lochlainn just read back to the Minister a statement he made in the past.

My job, as a Limerick Deputy, is to represent the people who put me in here, whether they are from the farming industry or wherever else. I represent people who are working and people who are not. I have to fight for the best deal for Limerick on behalf of the people who put me here. The Minister's job is to fight for the best deal for Ireland. He did not do that. He did not fight.

This amendment seeks to change 30 working days to 60 working days. I can understand that, as a businessperson, as can everyone else. Perhaps the Department and the civil servants cannot understand it because they have somebody running around doing things for them. We are talking about people who are working tooth and nail to provide not only for the fishing industry but also for the transport industry. The Government has done things to penalise them when it could have helped them. The Government could have helped with fuel costs but it penalised them again. The Government is making it impossible for any industry in Ireland to survive. All it is doing is creating inflation. We can see it in the ports. The Government is bringing in more legislation and stopping stuff coming into this country or leaving this country. There is an increase of €2.8 billion in transport going through the North because it is relaxed. We have to do it differently in Ireland. We are responsible 0.01% of global emissions but we have the most stipulations of anywhere in Europe. They are placed on us by Ministers who are city-based and who are not business people. They are being led by their Departments.

I call on the Minister to stand up and take on his Department. I ask him to stand up and fight for the people who elected him to represent them. I call on him to give them a small piece to say they will have an extra 30 days. They have to stay outside in the waters longer and catch less. They have to throw fish back. The biggest point I am going to make to the Minister is that those Irish fishers are pulling into ports and seeing other trawlers in the ports and unloading their fish onto trucks while the Irish fishers have to empty their boxes. Why are some of them getting penalty points? It is because fishers are weighing their fish in boxes with ice in it. They are told they are overweight and penalty points are applied. There is no chastising of foreign vessels that can come in and do what they want. Those foreign vessels can come into the same port as Irish fishers and unload as fast they can before going out again to catch more fish. That is wrong. I call on the Minister to stand up for the people who elected him. He should stand up for every county of Ireland that depends on fisheries. He should stand up for transport, fisheries and everything. He should stand up and make an imprint on Irish politics. I call on him not to be a career politician for the position that he holds.

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