Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 November 2004
180 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the position on a fishing vessel for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28518/04]
View answerI understand from the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats, established last year under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003, that the vessel concerned, which was lost at sea in 1981, was the subject of an application to the Department in July 2001 under a limited scheme known as the lost at sea scheme. This scheme allowed successful applicants to use the capacity of fishing vessels lost at sea in the 1980s for the purposes of introducing replacement vessels into the Irish fleet. While the application concerned appeared prima facie to meet all of the scheme’s eligibility criteria, it subsequently came to the Department’s attention that the application had not been completed or signed by the owner of the vessel, the individual to whom your question refers. As the individual concerned was the only person eligible to apply under the scheme, and did not do so by the scheme’s closing date of 31 December 2001, the capacity of the vessel may not be used to introduce a replacement vessel. I understand that the position has been fully explained to him in writing.
