Thomas Pringle TD – Critically Important That ALL Fishermen Be Assisted
- Updated: 7th May 2020
Critically Important That ALL Fishermen Be Assisted
I asked to know the Minister’s plans for fisheries. Previously, he said he did not want to redirect the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, EMFF, because he felt it was not suitable. What is going to happen in regard to fishing?
What is critically important as well is that all fishermen will be assisted. It might take different measures to assist different categories of fishermen, such as those with boats of under 10m in length, but all fishermen should benefit from whatever measures are introduced by the European Union.
It is vitally important to make sure that everybody does benefit. A number of existing financial measures for Covid-19 do not apply to fishermen or farmers anyway. That is in the document. I checked before asking the minister. Only one out of three of the criteria apply to fishermen or farmers.
It is vitally important that the Minister would outline what is going to happen for the different elements of fishermen within the State. Perhaps he would respond to those questions.