Vol. 438 No. 6
32 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the financial losses being suffered by the Irish fishing fleet due to inclement weather conditions since November 1993; and the proposals, if any, he has to assist fishermen who are in severe financial difficulties because of the appalling weather conditions.
I am, of course, conscious that bad weather in recent months has severely restricted the activities of segments of the fishing fleet in certain areas. I have recently received strong representations from a number of the fishing industry organisations and the matter was also raised by industry representatives generally at the regular monthly meeting which was held earlier this week between senior officials of the Department of the Marine, BIM and the industry organisations.
While the restriction of fishing activity due to bad weather is a normal feature of the fishing industry, concern has been expressed that the extent of down time over recent months is such that exceptional circumstances of hardship arise and also that the viability of fishing enterprises may be at risk. There are of course other factors such as weak markets which are also at play. The landings information available to the Department of the Marine does not show any consistent pattern. Landings at some ports are generally on a par with landings for the same period last year, while in others there is evidence that the landings have declined considerably in recent weeks.
There are, of course, established mechanisms under the social welfare code and supplementary welfare allowances scheme to provide income support where certain conditions are met. The coverage of the fishing industry by social insurance schemes is, however, not comprehensive and the major new scheme of optional social insurance for share fishermen will not provide cover for unemployment until January 1995. I have advised the Minister for Social Welfare of the difficult financial situation in the fishing sector and asked for his full assistance in ensuring that fishermen will be facilitated to the maximum extent possible under existing schemes.
I have also asked BIM for an urgent report on the size and extent or genuine hardship within the industry arising from the exceptional weather conditions that have applied and, if this is warranted, to bring forward proposals to deal with those exceptional difficulties.
I have also written to the European Commissioner for Fisheries, Mr. Palleokrassas drawing his attention to the problems which arise and asking for his assistance both to deal with the short term difficulties as well as the opening of a debate on the setting of a long term mechanism to handle this type of exceptional occurrence.
The assistance of the fishing industry organisations has been sought in assessing the extent of genuine hardship as well as their ideas as to how best this could be dealt with both in the short and longer terms.
I appreciate the trouble to which the Minister has gone to give such a comprehensive reply. It indicates that he understands the problem that has arisen from the desperate weather of the past three months. Will the Minister keep me informed about his discussions with the Minister for Social Welfare because as things stand many fishermen are on the breadline? Some of them have only fished for about three days in the past three months. Will the Minister get the Government to make a special fund available to help fishermen who are in serious trouble with repayments and who are having difficulty surviving? If it was market gardeners in north county Dublin, potato growers in County Donegal or cereal growers in the midlands a special fund would be set up. Such a fund was set up in the past ten years. Why can the fishing industry not be treated in the same way when faced with natural disaster such as we have seen over the last few months?
I accept what the Deputy says and he is right that some fishermen have fished for only three or four days in the last number of months. I sympathise with their plight and I agree that what is good for the farmers should be good for the fishing industry. I have always felt that, and that is why I am pressing this issue raised in the Deputy's question. The fishing industry has been the poor relation here for too long and the attention given to what is known as the maritime or marine ethos was merely humbug. Since I became Minister for the Marine I would like to think that I have put some flesh on the bones and will continue to try to do so in difficult circumstances, because fishing is not perceived in this island nation as being top of the pile.
