Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 October 2006
378 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of fishing licences that have been held within the Milford electoral area on a yearly basis from 1997 to date in 2006. [32942/06]
View answerUnder the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003, the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing and registration were transferred from the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats. The Authority operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in the Act and policy directives in relation to sea-fishing boat licensing. The head of the Licensing Authority is the Registrar General of Fishing Boats who is a senior official in the Department. An application to enter a sea-fishing boat onto the Fishing Boat Register must be received before a licence to fish is granted.
The Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats has advised me that records of registered and licensed vessels are not maintained on an electoral area basis. The Irish Fishing Fleet Register is available for viewing on the Department's web site at www.dcmnr.ie/Marine. The Register displays details pertaining to each vessel, its owner(s) and the fleet segment in which it is licensed and registered.
