The decision of Minister Simon Coveney to create a cumbersome inter departmental, multi agency taskforce, to investigate alleged people trafficking, illegal immigration and exploitative working conditions for migrant workers in the fishing industry lacked the urgency necessary to deal with this unacceptable situation.

Criticising what she described as the lack of urgency in the Government’s response, Independent MEP Marian Harkin called on the Minister to immediately institute, in conjunction with the Department of Justice, an inspectorate of trawlers arriving into port. Unannounced inspections would, she said, provide a real deterrent to the continuation of the alleged practices.

“While a longterm strategy, such as Minister Coveney has proposed, will be necessary to address the problem of the skills shortage in the Irish fishing fleet, failure to institute immediate inspections of existing crewing will raise questions as to the seriousness being attached to the investigation by The Guardian “, she said.

“Minister Coveney as the responsible Minister for the fishing industry has a major responsibility in this, and it is worth noting that in 2006 in a report he wrote for the European Parliament he said:- ‘Member states should take the necessary steps to actively target and prosecute those who knowingly use the services of victims of trafficking in order to reduce the demand for trafficked persons’.

Marian Harkin continued:- “He has a clear and immediate responsibility to deal with the factors fuelling any illegality, while the Minister for Justice must also be seen to act swiftly in the concerted effort to crack down on any illegal practises.

“It is so disappointing to see that in a week when the positive news that Ireland is moving to ban zero hour contracts we now hear that part of our fishing industry may be regularly exploiting and victimising migrant workers” Harkin concluded.