Sir, The estimated Social Welfare fraud of £350 million annually has received massive attention recently. Politicians of all parties have jumped on the bandwagon in condemnation - "heads must roll" etc.
Significant though this amount may be, it pales into insignificance when one thinks of the massive fraud perpetrated by the European Union on all the citizens of Ireland. Ireland, inside her 200 mile exclusive Fishing Zone, has 16 per cent of Eli waters but has been "granted" approximately five per cent of the total allowable catch of fish. Our catch is worth about £100 million a year and 15,000 jobs.
Yet it has been reliably estimated that other EU states, our "partners", take over £2 billion worth of fish from Irish waters every year, without one penny in benefit to the Irish economy. In addition to the straight loss there is the total loss of jobs afloat and ashore.
Instead of urging the Minister for Enterprise and Employment to "do something" to save the loss of jobs in Tambrands in Semperit, while they do nothing themselves, we urge these politicians to direct their efforts to rectifying this fraud on Ireland by the European Union. After all, this is Ireland's year in the European Presidency and is our best opportunity to secure a fair deal, yet our Government says "it is not appropriate" to raise the matter.
A final point. Social welfare fraud - wrong though it may be - benefits the Irish economy in that the money is spent in Ireland on food, clothing, housing etc., and thus creates jobs. The straight taking of £2 billion worth of fish does not create any jobs in Ireland. A fair deal in fisheries would create at least 30,000 additional jobs afloat and ashore in a very short time. Think about it, for politicians who wish to create jobs. - Yours, etc.,
Secretary,
Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation,
East End,
Castletownbere,
Co Cork.