Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 October 2023
383. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can direct Bord Iascaigh Mhara to engage with the representations by an organisation (details supplied) on behalf of a number of migrant fishers who have not received the share of crew compensation due to them under the Brexit voluntary decommissioning scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43500/23]
View answerIn its report of October 2021, the Seafood Task Force recommended the introduction of a voluntary permanent cessation scheme. The scheme aims to restore balance between the fishing fleet capacity and available quotas following quota reductions arising from the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and the UK. The Task Force also recommended that it would be appropriate to compensate crew who are impacted by the scheme.
In the development of a scheme in response to this recommendation, compensation for crew was incorporated and is determined based on qualifying criteria specified in the scheme and according to length of service. Under the terms of the Voluntary Permanent Cessation Scheme crew compensation is negotiated between the crew member and the owner.
The Terms and Conditions of that scheme are available on the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) website BIM - Brexit Voluntary Permanent Cessation Scheme.
In relation to evaluation of individual applications for decommissioning and the associated calculation of crew payments, this is an operational matter for BIM. As such, I will ask BIM to reply directly to the deputy on this matter.
