Fishing Industry

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 October 2022

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

Questions (758)

Mick Barry

Question:

758. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of vessels in the Irish fishing fleet that are eligible to employ fishers as part of the atypical work permit scheme for non-European Economic Area fishers; the number of vessel owners who are represented among that segment of the fleet; the number of those vessels with fishers currently employed under the terms of the scheme, according to the current contracts that pertain to the scheme held in his Department's central depository unit in Clonakilty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48212/22]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The 2015 Task Force identified that only vessels in the Polyvalent, Specific and Beam Trawler segments of the fleet, whose Length Overall is greater than 15m are eligible for inclusion in the Atypical Work Permit Scheme for non-EEA fishers. There are currently 174 such eligible vessels on the Irish Fleet Register and there are 165 different owners associated with these vessels. Information on the number of vessels and owners is derived from the Irish Fleet Register, which is updated weekly and published online: www.gov.ie/en/collection/c23b5-sea-fishing-boat-licence-applications/.

Within my Department, the Central Depository Unit is responsible only for pre-approvals to the Atypical Work Permit Scheme for non-EEA Fishers. The Department of Justice is responsible for the issuance of actual permissions under the scheme and is therefore the competent authority to provide data relating to the actual number of vessels associated with actual permissions.