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

What I cannot understand is that the Minister has the Brexit Adjustment Reserve fund, which is money intended to compensate for the loss of quota. That is to be deployed to assist the industry with that separate issue. He again talked about how using the EMFF would mean using funding that is supposed to be there for other issues, but why is he not talking about Exchequer funding? France, Italy, Spain and Sweden - I am sure there are many other countries but these are the most prominent four - have all made interventions, through either subsidies or emergency supports to their fishing industries. I just do not understand why we have not deployed Exchequer funding in the way we have done for the rest of the economy, whether that is business or residential.

I am genuinely appealing to the Minister to make an intervention with Exchequer funding primarily, or with European funding if necessary. There needs to be something on the table to keep our fishermen at sea and get them ready for next year.

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