Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I really hope that is realised and that it becomes a more effective and efficient system. The Minister asked where we draw the line. Like I said, other countries for example drew the line 100 m out from the shoreline. I am saying we may need to look at that. We may look at that and find out that this is not doable. I am asking the Minister to look at it and then I really hope the system is made more efficient as well.

The second point I wanted to raise with the Minister relates to the quotas. He always goes into the whole area of the European quotas but I am asking about his decision on distributing the European quota he has received. This is one of the factors that drives the complete disillusionment in the inshore sector with Government decisions on the fishing industry. Taking the mackerel quota as an example, there is no excuse for the fact that 99% - I am not sure if it is 98% or 99% - of this quota goes to fewer than 100 big vessels. Then somewhere under 2,000 vessels in the inshore sector get 1% or 2% of that quota. If there was ever a picture of unfairness in a sector, that is it. Equally, there are concerns about the Celtic herring quota and others. Instead of going into the European situation and all of that, will the Minister please outline, in terms of his distribution of that quota for mackerel, how he came to the conclusion that 98% of it would go to the those 100 boats and the other 2% to the 2,000 inshore fishers in the country?

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