Fishermen still waiting for ‘tie-up’ payment

THE fishing industry is still awaiting answers from the Government.

The money to fund the ‘temporary tie-up aid’ has been granted by Brussels for payment in 2009.

Good news, you say.

All our European neighbours are now paying their fishermen to tie up this side Christmas with money that can be claimed back from the European Fishing Fund in 2009, but the Irish government is not.

Once again Ireland doesn’t have the political will to help its own.

This autumn, with the price of oil falling, we have no quota left to catch. How shortsighted were our ministers in their over-enforcement of the farce that the common fisheries policy calls conservation.

The Government gladly accepts our yearly income tax to pay the unemployed, among others, and now our rulers will see fishermen and fishing co-op employees knocking on the dole office door.

How shortsighted is that?

Johnny Walsh

12 Fort View

Ardbrack

Kinsale

Co Cork