Fahey defends role in Lost at Sea scheme

FORMER Marine Minister Frank Fahey insisted he was “never dishonest” and has no regrets over his handling of a scheme to compensate fishermen for lost vessels which the opposition said was “rigged” to suit his constituents.

Mr Fahey was reacting to claims by a Fine Gael TD who claimed that even a ministerial colleague of Mr Fahey believed the Lost at Sea scheme, set up in 2001, was designed to suit two fishermen in Mr Fahey’s constituency of Galway West.

Kerry South TD Tom Sheahan said: “It was said to me privately by a minister that was in Cabinet at the time that the Lost at Sea scheme was an excellent scheme, but Fahey hijacked it for two of his own.”