Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 24 Apr 1996

Vol. 464 No. 4

Written Answers. - Fisheries Surveillance Funding.

Martin Cullen

Question:

128 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Defence in view of his reply to parliamentary questions Nos. 5 and 22 of 1 February 1996, whether the EU Commission has made any decision concerning the capital and operational resources necessary to maximise Ireland's fisheries surveillance programmes; if EU funding for a new ship for the naval service has been agreed; if so, the amount of funding agreed; the matching funding that will be required; when this additional ship will be commissioned and become operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8289/96]

Minister for Defence (Mr. Barrett)

As I have outlined previously in the House, an overall EU five year financial aid package for fisheries surveillance was agreed at the Fisheries Council in October 1995. Under the package, Ireland will receive financial support for a significant programme of capital investment in fisheries surveillance equipment. Additionally, over the five years, Ireland will receive a sum of £12 million to fund operational needs of the protection service.

Under the package, a range of measures have been agreed for 1996. The measures, in the main, relate to the implementation of the new entry/exit requirements which came into force on 1 January 1996. The total amount of expenditure under the programme for 1996 for both the Departments of Defence and the Marine is £5.8 million. of which £4.3 million will be met by the EU. The proposals for expenditure in 1997 under the package have to be submitted to Brussels by end June 1996. These proposals will include,inter alia, expenditure as a down payment for the acquisition of a new ship for the Naval Service. It is not possible, in advance of a tender competition for the vessel, to say when it will be commissioned but past experience has shown that the overall acquisition process takes about two years.