Row over proposed new fishing laws intensifies

ANGRY TDs moved to delay controversial new fishing laws being “jackbooted” through the Oireachtas yesterday as a row intensified over legal advice given to ministers.

The Communications, Marine and Natural Resources Committee abandoned their scheduled examination of the proposed legislation until the dispute was resolved.

Cork Fine Gael TD Jim O’Keeffe called for the suspension in order to stop the Fisheries and Marine Jurisdiction Bill being “jackbooted through with unseemly haste”.

The joint committee will today meet in private session to look at the conflicting legal advice on the issue.

The committee has consistently criticised provisions in the sweeping new laws intended to prevent over-fishing and other infringements in the Irish fishing fleet.

The majority of the committee is unhappy that less serious offences will be dealt with by criminal punishment rather than administrative sanctions, which it says is the norm in other EU countries.

However, the Attorney General is believed to have advised the Cabinet that the offences could only be dealt with within the criminal code, otherwise the bill’s constitutionality might be vulnerable to challenge.

The committee then took the unprecedented step of seeking independent legal opinion that differed from the Government’s advice.

The committee has written to Mr Gallagher taking issue with aspects of the AG’s advice.

Mr Gallagher yesterday rejected claims the measures were “draconian” and insisted he had campaigned for the fishing industry all his political life.