Danny Healy-Rae urges minister to extend fishermen's days to 60
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae spoke on 2 Feb 2022 about extending the total working days for fishermen under SFPA determinations, urging the minister to increase the allowance to 60 days. He argued the change is minimal and necessary because fishermen are weather-dependent, often work irregularly, and lose days while at sea trying to earn money for their vessels.
Request to increase days
He pressed the minister to double the total working days to 60, saying the current limits allow days to slip by when fishermen are at sea and weather prevents them from being at home.
Fishermen's financial contribution
He emphasised that these are hardworking people who pay taxes and contribute to services such as carers and pensions, and therefore deserve a modest extension of the allowed days.
Operational challenges described
He outlined how quarter periods, bad weather and the need to make money to cover vessel payments mean fishermen may be away for weeks, causing their total days to be used up before they can make submissions. He also noted sole traders and small employers often work seven days a week and around the clock.
Demand for explanation from the minister
He asked the minister to explain how increasing the period to 60 days - the time requested for submissions to the determination panel from the date of notification from the SFPA - could damage the SFPA's case, and asked for a clear reason if the extension could not be granted.
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Thank you very much, John Kohler. Look, Minister, what we're asking is very minimal, and these are hardworking people that pay their taxes. They're actually paying, they're contributing to us in here. They're contributing to the services, whether it is the carers, whether it is the pensions, whatever it is, they're contributing like everyone else. And they don't have surety of work. And they're dependent on the weather, whether they can go out to fish. And, you know, when we're asking to double the days, 60 days, 30 days, don't be long going. Look, it was only the other day, we came back after Christmas and the month of January is gone. And, you see, there's this other problem that the fishermen have. When they have their quarter reached at the end of the month, or before the end of the month, they can go fishing maybe for a few weeks. And then, when their time comes, and they're out again, because they have to make money to keep their vessels, they have to pay the payments, and they won't pay them at home. And they might be after giving a number of days at home already, because they had the quarter filled, and the weather was bad. And they're out in the high seas, and they're out in the high seas, trying to make a few pounds. And the total days are slipping by. As I said to you, they go very quickly. And we're only asking, and we're only asking, we're only asking a small-ass minister to increase the days, the total working days to 60. And, as for working days, I suppose, department officials certainly have a different idea of total working days, and those people that are sole traders, or operating their own companies, or whatever, they have to pay their employees, and they have to work what days they can. And that's often seven days a week, and a lot of 24 hours a day. So, that has to be understood, and I don't think it is being understood. And I'm humbly asking you, minister, and tell me why he can't increase. If he won't do it, tell me why he can't do it. What? How would it hurt the thing if it was carried on for 30 more days? Explain to me. Because, look, they're asking a period of 60 days to lower submission and writing to be made to the determination panel from the date of the notification from the SFPA. God, minister, we couldn't be more humbly, that's for something lesser than what we're asking, just to double the days. And I don't think to be the end of the world, but explain to me how it could damage the FPA's case if it was increased to 60 days. Thank you.
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