asked the Minister for the Marine the specific responsibilities and role of Bord Iascaigh Mhara vis-àvis his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - BIM Role.
3.
An Bord Iascaigh Mhara are the statutory agency with primary responsibility for the overall development of the seafishing industry including aquaculture. They provide a wide range of financial, technical, educational, resource development and marketing services to the industry as a whole, from catching through to processing and marketing. A detailed account of their activities is contained in the board's annual report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. If the Deputy wishes I will be pleased to let him have a copy of it.
Why then are BIM becoming part of the Department of the Marine? Will they now be totally autonomous and is it a fact that they are not really a part of the Department of the Marine and are not controlled by that Department?
BIM are responsible to the Department of the Marine and the totality of the board's functions is currently under review in the context of the recent creation by the Government of the new Deparment of the Marine. Until these matters are finalised and BIM's envisaged new role and status have been discussed with the board it would be inappropriate for me to spell out in detail at this stage the responsibility envisaged for them by the Government. We want to have a further look at all the responsibility of all the agencies which come within our ambit and we must look at BIM as well in the best interests of the industry.
Can I take it that at the moment there has not been a change in the role of BIM? Will the Minister give any indication to the House as to when the study to which the Minister just referred will be completed and as to when the Minister will be making changes in the role of BIM?
The change the previous Minister made in deciding that the marketing functions of BIM should be a matter for CTT was reversed with the approval of the House and the industry when we assumed office and the £100,000 which was taken from them at that time has now been returned. I do not want to limit myself because we want a full and comprehensive review of all the agencies. The Deputy will appreciate that it is difficult in a new Department to get all this organised but we will act as expeditiously as possible in the best interests of the industry.
Before the Fianna Fáil Government came to office they had an enormous programme for the new Department of the Marine. Is the Minister now saying that they will have to have a further review on top of a number of the plans that were contained in that document?
We said it would be at least 12 months before we would do this. If we presented a plan to the House today the same Deputy would probably be critical of us for cobbling together a policy just for the sake of getting it together. We are working in the best interests of the industry and if the Deputy bears with us we will present our programme at the earliest possible date.