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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 31 Mar 1998

Vol. 489 No. 3

Priority Questions. - Fishermen's Compensation Package.

Michael Finucane

Ceist:

15 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the status of the request for compensation for fishermen for the period November 1997 to January 1998. [7810/98]

I have advised the House on several occasions that I am open to considering any substantiated case for assistance made by fishing organisations for losses incurred because of bad weather of exceptional severity and duration, in light of Met Éireann weather data and within the parameters of EU legislation. However, as I explained to Deputies on previous occasions, under EU State aid rules approval for financial assistance to the fishing sector must be obtained from the European Commission. The Commission has consistently stated that EU funding will not be made available to compensate for bad weather. The Commission has also affirmed that it opposes national compensation schemes in this regard.

Analysis of Met Éireann weather data for December 1997 and January and February 1998 shows that while the period in question was windy it was not unusually so. Those months had considerably less gale days than the same months in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The average number of gale days recorded on the north and south west coasts was less than the seven year average for November to February. Given these data, with available data on whitefish landings by the Irish fleet up to the end of February, it would serve no useful purpose at this stage to approach the Commission with weather related compensation proposals.

I am glad the recent good weather has been very favourable to the fishing industry with landings of quota whitefish and prawns up by more than 20 per cent compared with last year. This will make up for the difficult weather conditions experienced over Christmas, with every prospect of the fleet catching the full quotas available to it.

I take it there will be no weather compensation package for fishermen. Has the Minister communicated this message to the two fisheries organisations which approached him, the South and South-West Fishermen's Organisation and the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, one of which met him recently? I am aware of the Minister's response of 17 February which is similar to today's response. The Minister has completed the analysis, but I take it there will be no weather compensation package for fishermen. I am aware of the Minister's concerns about the European Union acceding to this request, but it acceded to a £4.5 million package in 1994 which was granted by the Taoiseach, who was then Minister for Finance, at the behest of Deputy David Andrews. There is a precedent for such a compensation package and the Minister should now say whether a weather compensation package will be granted on this occasion.

I set up a task force to consider this matter. The Deputy referred to the south and south-west and herring fishing in the Celtic Sea. There is a major problem in that area which must be addressed and a task force was set up for that purpose with various interests involved, including the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation and the South and South-West Fishermen's Organisation. That report is expected shortly and we plan to base our actions on it. It will be a comprehensive report which will deal not only with weather data but the market and price aspects as well as other factors that affected fishermen during that period. I am conscious of the overall position.

The European Commission has weather data. There were very windy days over the Christmas period, during which time there were tragedies, and I am conscious of how bad the weather was at that time. A broader picture must, however, be taken in terms of the catch, particularly of whitefish, and that is the picture that will be put to the Commission.

In regard to the position in 1994, the circumstances were different then. We were taken to the European Court because of our action at that time and it was only at the last minute the case was set aside on the grounds that such circumstances would not arise again. I set up the task force to reflect the overall problem and the report is expected reasonably soon.

The herring task force set up by the Minister because of the collapse in herring prices and other factors is due to report on 31 March, which is today, and I do not know whether that timeframe will be met. Is the Minister saying that he will consider a compensation package taking into account the herring and the weather elements and will he approach the European Union on that basis? I did not refer to herring in my original question but to the weather. The Minister referred to the herring task force. Will both of these be taken in tandem and will the Minister present proposals to the European Union at that stage? There may be a possibility of compensation based on this.

I am looking at the matter in a comprehensive way.

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