No grant aid from the State or the European Union was paid towards the vessel referred to by the Deputy. The refrigerated sea water, RSW, segment of the Irish fleet, in which the vessel concerned is licensed and registered, has been excluded from grant aid support for renewal and modernisation for many years. I am not aware that the company concerned has received any assistance that could be described as an indirect subsidy.
By way of background, the European Commission's agreement to facilitate the introduction into the fleet of the vessel referred to was subject to resolution of outstanding over-capacity engine power in the Irish pelagic fleet segment. To address this long-standing problem, which was not caused by the company concerned, the company removed its other vessel from the Irish and EU registers and its engine power capacity was permanently deleted. The tonnage capacity of the pelagic segment was already within the EU capacity limit and, in the circumstances, the company was allowed to retain the tonnage capacity of the vessel removed from the Irish fleet. The use of this capacity is, however, subject to advance approval and must not conflict with legal or fleet policy obligations.
Sea fishing boat licensing policy permits the use of a maximum of 4,474 gross tonnes of the capacity formerly associated with the vessel removed from the fleet, subject to approval. I understand the Independent Licensing Authority has to date approved the assignment of specified quantities of that capacity to other vessel owners in the pelagic segment of the fleet for use as replacement capacity for the purpose of licensing of larger replacement vessels.
