Sir, - Until last week national attention, via the tribunals, was focused on the construction industry, but now the fishing industry has made an appearance when it was revealed that two major players in the industry had been approached for money for the Brian Lenihan fund. This was at a time when restrictions were being placed on vessel tonnage and what had been a free-for-all was then becoming a restricted entry industry.
It is pointless calling for another tribunal into the awarding of licences in the fishing industry but the very least which the revelations should prompt is the establishment of an independent sea fishing licensing board.
Today, with all the evidence of money to certain politicians, the Minister of the Marine is still the sole authority who decides who may receive a fishing licence and who may not and the sole determinant of the conditions governing the licence. There is no appeals mechanism and the only recourse to a Ministerial decision in these matters is through lengthy court procedures. In these days, when it has been clearly shown that there is need for openness and transparency in all public dealings, this clientist, behind-closed-doors system needs to be abolished immediately. - Yours, etc.
Dr Joan McGinley, Teelin, Carrick, Co Donegal.