Tom Sheahan (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will introduce a tie-up scheme for fishermen where boats could be tied up on a rota basis to help fishermen through this rough period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25596/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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At the Council of Fisheries meeting in Luxembourg last week, which Minister Killeen and I attended, EU Fisheries Commissioner Borg, undertook to come back to the next Council meeting on the 15th July with definitive proposals to address the issues facing fishermen.

In the interim, I will continue to use every avenue open to me, as will Minister Killeen to convey in the strongest possible terms the depth of feeling of Irish fishermen on the situation facing them at present. I believe that the resolution to the current difficulties can only be achieved in a European context. In this regard, we will continue to press for a package of EU-funded measures to address the difficulties experienced by fishermen across Europe, particularly in Ireland.

I was heartened by the support I received from my fellow Ministers at Council and am also pleased with the progress made in a number of other areas of concern to Irish fishermen. I believe the meeting was positive as regards the restructuring of the industry and action to combat illegal fishing. I welcome the agreement reached at Council on a new regulation to combat landings of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish from within and outside the EU.