Bord Iascaigh Mhara is the delegated authority for implementation of the Decommissioning Schemes for the fishing fleet. The scheme for the Licensing of Traditional Pot Fishing Boats in the Irish Inshore Fleet was administered by BIM on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Salmon Hardship Scheme came under the auspices of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was administered by BIM. BIM is an independent statutory agency and hence the internal financial management is a matter for the Board exclusively, in which the Minister does not have a role. However, the Department has forwarded the request to BIM for its consideration and for a direct reply to the Deputy.
The Department has recently had a request for the same information in relation to these schemes, including the Lost at Sea Scheme, from a member of the family involved in the Ombudsman's investigation. All aspects of that scheme, including the matter of its advertising and promulgation, have already been exhaustively examined by the Ombudsman, by the Houses of the Oireachtas, and most recently by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Committee's final report is awaited and, in the circumstances, the Department has written to the person concerned to advise that it is not prepared to open up a separate correspondence in relation to the matter.