David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the sympathy he conveyed to the Bulger family which I am sure will be very much appreciated. I am sure he will also agree that fishing families across the south east and the island of Ireland need more than sympathy, rather they need support. We do not have a joined-up approach which delivers sustainable and financially viable fishing opportunities for those fishermen who have lost out because of restrictions which have been put in place for genuine reasons. They have not been properly compensated.

Employment supports have not been put in place. While I welcome the FLAG initiative, the financial contribution is very small. It does not deal with the holistic approach we need to take to examine the sustainability of the fishing sector in the south east. We need a strategy that joins all of that up, but we do not have one. In the absence of that, we are failing coastal communities and fishermen.