Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has sidestepped Fianna Fáil backbenchers' demands for last-minute changes to fishery protection legislation, although he has left open a vague possibility that fixed penalties could be introduced later.
The Sea Fisheries Bill was passed by the Dáil last evening just hours after Marine Minister Noel Dempsey chaired a meeting of concerned FF deputies in the party's Leinster House offices.
Some TDs left the meeting believing that Mr Dempsey was about to abandon his long-standing opposition to fixed-penalty fines, and was ready to promise to introduce a system for minor offences within six months.
Besides Mr Dempsey, the meeting was attended by three former ministers for the marine, Brendan Daly, Michael Woods and Frank Fahey and the former minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh.
Cork South West TD Denis O'Donovan, one of the strongest opponents of parts of the legislation also attended.
Former minister of state for the marine, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, fellow Donegal deputy Cecilia Keaveney, the Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt and Senator Brendan Kenneally were also present.
However, Mr Dempsey quickly disappointed the hopes of some colleagues when he stood up in the Dáil later to deal with Report Stage amendments to the legislation, where he launched a strong attack on its opponents.
"If and when this Bill is passed, [ and if] the fisheries organisations wish to discuss administrative fines for small technical breaches of legislation, this can be on the agenda," he declared.
However, he said he was prepared to scrap part of the legislation that would make it compulsory for the courts to seize the catch and gear of fishermen caught for first-time offences.
In a letter to some TDs yesterday, the Taoiseach said he had raised backbenchers' concerns about the legislation - which has infuriated the fishing organisations - with Mr Dempsey.
"He has outlined the problems and the possibilities as follows. The issue is that most offences, which are often very technical in nature, relate in some way to illegal over-fishing of quotas, or mis-recording of catches in the EU logbook. Such offences must be considered as serious offences and dealt with in the courts.
"Accordingly, it is very difficult to identify offences which could be clearly determined as minor offences by statute," he wrote.
Mr Dempsey will meet fishing leaders about the industry's future, he said: "These discussions can also address whether there is potential, in the context of the developing Common Fisheries Policy, to introduce at a future date a system of administrative penalties, which clearly could only be envisaged for minor offences. In the circumstances, I propose that we process the Bill through the House today," he wrote.
Last night, the Oireachtas committee chairman, Noel O'Flynn called on the Minister to "engage immediately with the industry" on its future, and on the use of fixed penalties, rather than court-imposed sanctions.
Expecting a significant concession from the Minister, fishing organisation leaders left the Dáil gallery in anger when the Minister stopped short of making any move on penalties.
Seán O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation questioned the point of talks with the Minister when he "hasn't sought to have dialogue with us before . . ." Lorcán Ó Cinnéide of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation "questioned the Minister's fitness for office", claiming that he had misled FF colleagues at the party meeting earlier in the day.