Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

At this minute, a significant Dutch fleet is catching thousands of tonnes of fish off our coastline and is being neglected by the Irish Navy and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. At the same time, fishermen, some of whom are struggling to survive, who come in with one box of monkfish over quota are landed before the Circuit Court with penalties that far outweigh the offence in question.

It is a serious issue. The statistics have been announced this morning and are worrying. In respect of all the vessels caught, there appears to be an apartheid system in place which discriminates against Irish fishermen who have suffered enough. I have always fought for fishermen. It is an industry we have neglected through Europe but we should try to protect what we have and not allow Spain, the Netherlands and other countries throughout Europe to maraud through our waters and rape our seas. When the Spanish vessel unloads its fish in Castletownbere, the Irish boys are being treated like serious criminals and are concerned about it. The Spanish can say, "What we land in Spain is our business and what we land here is none of your business". That cannot go on.