Michael Moynihan
Ceist:8 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for the Marine when he will make decisions on the numerous applications for licences for fishing vessels which have been with his Department for many months.
Ceisteanna-Questions. Oral Answers. - Fishing Vessel Licences.
Michael Bell
Ceist:17 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the hardship which has been suffered by many trawlermen who have been unable to secure licences because of the delay in the commission report; when the report will be finalised; when a decision will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Michael Moynihan
Ceist:18 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for the Marine when the report of the review group on licensing of fishing vessels will be published.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:26 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for the Marine if he will grant licences to fish for white fish along the south-west coast to persons (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Brendan Howlin
Ceist:38 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Marine the progress which has been made to rectify the unsatisfactory situation regarding the granting of sea-fishing boat licences.
Seán Ryan
Ceist:54 Mr. Ryan asked the Minister for the Marine when the report of the review body on licensing of fishing vessels will be published.
(Limerick West): I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 17, 18, 26, 38 and 54 together.
I set up the Sea Fishing Boat Licensing Review Group in August 1989 in order to establish a sound and equitable basis for processing sea fishing boat licence applications in the interests of existing fishermen and potential new entrants to the industry. This decision was widely welcomed by the industry. I am pleased to inform the House that the report of the licensing review group was submitted to me last month. I am studying this report with a view to announcing new licensing policies and procedures as soon as possible. In the meantime, the embargo on the consideration of licence applications, including those referred to by Deputy Deenihan, continues to apply.
It would be premature at this stage, pending detailed consideration, to comment in detail or to take a decision on the question of publication in advance of careful consideration by me of the complex issues involved. I wish to mention, however, that the group have examined in detail the level of existing fish stocks and the existing capacity of the fleet as well as European Community requirements to reduce fleet capacity. The group have expressed serious concern about fish stocks and the impact on those stocks and on the viability of existing boats of allowing additional capacity into the fleet. It has, accordingly, recommended, generally speaking, that new boats should be allowed in on a replacement basis only and that the degree of replacement required should be related to the level of over-capacity in each specific segment of the fleet.
I wish to mention also that the number of applications on hand come to 220 and that the tonnage involved comes to approximately 15,000 tonnes. This tonnage amounts to over 27 per cent of the existing fleet. It would be entirely unrealistic to envisage that all these applications could be reasonably accommodated except on a replacement only basis. I will be dealing with all these issues when I come to announce the new licensing policy to apply.
There are so many questions there that it is hard to follow them. Would the Minister not agree that in the case of some young skippers who are being prevented from taking out a licence, there is a degree of hardship involved and would he consider those cases urgently?
(Limerick West): Yes. The Deputy will appreciate that there are no hard and fast rules. The whole matter is being examined at the moment by the Minister and myself.
Can the Minister indicate if any licences have been issued since the establishment of the review group?
(Limerick West): To my knowledge none has been issued, unless there was a prior commitment to do so.