Dail Report: Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey insisted yesterday that a small group of fishermen were involved in "systematic criminal activity" but rejected allegations that he was criminalising the entire fishing industry.
In the continuing row over the Sea Fisheries and Marine Jurisdiction Bill, Mr Dempsey said France had already been fined €20 million "straight off" by the EU for lack of enforcement of sea fisheries. It also faced €57 million in penalties every six months, for ongoing offences.
"I will not expose the taxpayers of this country to that kind of criminality and to the potential of those kinds of fines," he said.
He stressed: "In my public statements I have made it quite clear that there is a small group of fishermen who are engaged in systematic criminal activity.
"I need this legislation. When I meet the commissioner next Monday week, I need to be able to assure the commission that tough but fair legislation is in place and will be applied fairly."
The legislation, which finally went to committee stage, aims to conserve fish stocks and carries strict penalties for illegal fishing.
Fine Gael's marine spokesman John Perry had accused the Minister of denigrating all fishermen and claimed there was a "smear campaign against the industry - 6,500 fishermen - even in The Irish Times today".
This Bill "has brought the whole fishing industry down to a low level by way of leaks from the Minister's department, many unfounded allegations and classifying 6,500 fishermen as dishonest. That is an outrageous allegation."
The Sligo/Leitrim TD claimed it was "not a fact" that the State would be fined millions of euro if it failed to enact this Bill. "The truth is that any sanctions contemplated concern the Government's failure to implement current legislation," he claimed.
Labour's Marine spokesman Tommy Broughan said: "Nobody condones gross illegality and thievery from the Irish people in fishing by any unscrupulous people and it is fair to say the vast majority of decent fishermen and their families - the 40,000 people in maritime communities - are anxious that there would be a transparent regime."
But he claimed the Minister and his predecessor Minister of State Frank Fahey "never made the slightest attempt to introduce a transparent regime or to deal with miscreants". He also questioned the absence of the Minister of State for the Marine Pat The Cope Gallagher in dealing with the legislation at committee stage.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that while they could not stand by law-breakers there was a "rush to legislation".
Sinn Féin's Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin called for the Minister to take the "honourable course of withdrawing the Bill in its entirety".
But Mr Dempsey accused Mr Perry of "speaking out of both sides of his mouth". He said: "I cannot understand how the so-called party of law and order does not support the legislation."
