Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister will be aware, it was agreed in Europe that there would be a financial aid package from last March but the Government did not avail of it. Another one has been voted for and announced in recent days and the Government needs to avail of it. The Minister referred to the Brexit Adjustment Reserve fund earlier and a tie-up scheme to compensate for the decommissioning of our fleet and the loss of so much of our quota. That is totally separate from the issues that have emerged in the context of the impact of the Russian war on Ukraine.

I cannot put this starkly enough, although I appreciate the Minister has met representatives. This is unprecedented. All the fishing organisations nationally, including IFA aquaculture and inshore and offshore representatives, have united and used the strongest language to say they cannot go to sea or meet their responsibilities to the food sector. The EU is not looking to tie up boats; it wants people to go out to sea to provide food for the European economy. When is the Minister going to help them do that?

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