Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I read the Minister's report and the response from Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The strategy was set up and everybody thought this would be great, but it does not seem to have worked. As the previous speakers indicated, the inshore fishermen have got a raw deal. You see big boats coming into this country's waters and sweeping up fish, and our small guys in rural Ireland are not getting what they deserve. In fairness to the Minister, he has dealt with many of the issues raised and has tried to support them in whatever way he can. However, the biggest way he could support these guys is by giving them more quota. Let them go out and fish for what they want. It is a hard job and a hard life. It is difficult to make money out of it. This is traditionally the job they do, the only thing they know, and they want to stay in it. We have sacrificed the fishing industry for agriculture over the years. It is time these small guys were given a break by the Department. There seems to be a hole in the Department in recent years, especially in the context of the quota, whereby it was not prepared to give more quota to the small guy. A bit of quota to the small guy would mean a lot to them, not like the big fishermen.

We talked about the fuel prices, which I have raised on a number of occasions with Ministers. The Government has allowed these increases in fuel prices so many times when people already had a problem with the price of fuel. It may have come back a bit, but fuel is still expensive. That is creating a major problem. At Government level, I was surprised that the Minister, and colleagues in my party, did not stop what has been happening for the past two years. Rules were brought in for the green issue and putting up fuel prices. That was fine when we were not in the climate we are in now. We did not have the war in Ukraine when these people sat around in committee meetings and decided they were going to put up fuel every few months. That is not the way to deal with small businesses and small fishermen who are finding it difficult.

Is there any way the Department can give the small fisherman more quota? They have said that if they get the quota and do not use it, they will give it back, but they will not do that because they will work it. Giving them more quota will be the best economic way to support and help them. I know the Minister has been asked and has rejected it, but I am asking him to look again at giving them more mackerel and other quotas. It is shocking to see big boats come in from all over the world and sweep up the fish in our waters.

The few little lads and women in the inshore sector, particularly those in small rural communities, are not able to go out and get more quota that would allow them to fish, that they could sell and make a bit of money on. I have a straight question for the Minister. Will he consider giving them more quota? It is something that has been raised here on many occasions. It has been raised with me and other Deputies to try and see what can be done to help them. What is the resistance within the Department to doing this?