Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would not say it is unprecedented for the fishing organisations to come together to speak on the same issue and deliver the same message. The challenge relating to fuel is one we have been dealing with for some months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I previously met all those organisations together to discuss this issue. Their request to me in March and April was for a second tie-up scheme. The seafood fisheries task force had recommended only a one-month tie-up scheme for this year, but the fishers' representatives asked me for two and I responded to that by delivering a second one. Through that, we delivered €25 million in funding to the sector, allowing one in three vessels in any one month to tie up and the other two vessels that were out fishing to avail of the quota that was freed up as a result. They asked me specifically for that given the challenging cost backdrop that exists due to fuel and so on, and I responded and delivered. I met them again on the continuing issues a week ago and I am considering the challenges. I know very much from talking to fishers the pressure they are under from a cost point of view and I am considering that strongly.

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