Vol. 491 No. 3
161 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the position of a claim by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo for compensation in relation to 102 damaged lobster pots in view of the fact that this claim is being held in abeyance pending the return to work of a departmental official; and the reason responsibility for this claim has not been allocated elsewhere for processing. [11761/98]
Mediation in incidents such as this, and the handling of related compensation claims, is the responsibility of a sea fisheries officer of my Department within the framework of the code of practice for inshore fishermen and trawlermen. This code of practice was introduced to minimise the risk to local fishing gear from trawling activities and to facilitate compensation in cases of verifiable gear losses.
I have asked my Department, given the present circumstances, to assign an official straight away to handle issues arising under the code of practice. Progress on this particular case will be expedited by my Department, with a view to facilitating an agreed and equitable settlement in the near future.
