Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for replying to my Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister. I appreciate what he said, but I believe the issue needs to be sent home to Europe. This is an extraordinary circumstance and the normal rules should not apply in this case. This has been a catastrophe for many of the fishermen involved and we need to use whatever mechanisms we have to make the case with Europe. I imagine Europe would be favourable, because the numbers are minuscule.

I welcome the fact that the Minister will talk to industry groups in the coming days to endeavour to assess the scale of losses that may have occurred. One of the groups had a very positive input into the report launched yesterday - Iascairí Intíre Éireann, the inland fishermen's organisation which represents many of the smaller fishermen along the west and south coasts. Will the Minister of State ask the Minister to meet with that group to discuss these issues with them as they are anxious to talk to him and give him an accurate picture of the extent of the problem?