asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries how many fishing boats have been repossessed by An Bord Iascaigh Mhara from the Dingle fishermen each year from 1957 to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Repossession of Fishing Boats.
56.
One boat was repossessed in each of the years 1961, 1962 and 1963 and two were repossessed in 1964. No boat was repossessed in any of the other years referred to.
Does the Minister see any solution to the present difficulties in Dingle? Is it getting any nearer a settlement?
Most of the difficulties are being resolved.
I see.
57.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries how many fishing boats have been repossessed around the coast each year from 1957 to 1966; and how many have been resold to fishermen.
The figures requested are:
|
1957 |
1 |
|
1958 |
5 |
|
1959 |
4 |
|
1960 |
3 |
|
1961 |
9 |
|
1962 |
6 |
|
1963 |
11 |
|
1964 |
13 |
|
1965 |
6 |
|
1966 (to date) |
6 |
|
TOTAL |
64 |
58 were resold to fishermen on credit cash terms.
Mr. O'Leary
Could the Minister say if cases of financial difficulty are looked into individually?
Yes. There is a long history in this matter. Every case is taken and considered sympathetically by the Board. After all, the Board is basically a development board. Furthermore, the Government have intervened a couple of times in recent years to give blanket reliefs in the form of interest and capital reductions.
Could the Minister say if these difficulties arise largely out of the fact that there are no local cold storage facilities and as a result, there is often the loss of all the catch or there are very poor prices? Is it also due to the type of harbours and the failure to extend them properly?
I think I would have to content myself by saying that there are a variety of factors.