Vol. 491 No. 4
10 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when he will publish comprehensive guidelines for the licensing of sea fishing vessels and ensure that transparency prevails in relation to the licensing policy. [12444/98]
Licensing of sea fishing vessels is governed by section 222B (as amended) of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959. The key objective of licensing policy is to ensure the conservation and rational exploitation of available fish stocks by the fleet, consistent with Ireland's legal obligations under the Common Fisheries Policy in relation to fleet capacity, fishing effort and conservation parameters. The setting and implementation of transparent and equitable licensing rules and regulations to underpin policy is an ongoing objective in its own right.
The principles and criteria of sea fishing licensing policy have been publicly articulated on frequent occasions in replies to questions in the House, responses to particular inquiries and in other public statements. It is the basic requirement of fishing boat licensing policy, reflecting mandatory EU fleet policy, that a licence may only be granted for the introduction of a new vessel to the fishing fleet where the applicant has undertaken to remove capacity at least equal to the tonnage and engine power of the boat to be introduced. Another key licensing policy requirement is that an applicant must provide demonstrable proof of the safety and seaworthiness of any boat proposed for introduction to the fleet.
While I believe that the current licensing procedures and criteria are generally understood by the fishing sector, I plan to publish shortly comprehensive guidelines on the licensing process, procedures and criteria. These will fully reflect the spirit and intent of our commitment to freedom of information and quality customer service and will set out all the policy considerations which are taken into account in granting fishing licences. I am fully committed to ensuring that there is transparency in relation to licensing policy and procedures and that fishermen have confidence in the process.
The Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has consistently stated that the issue of licensing is a private matter for the Department. The Minister has spoken about transparency but in issuing sea licences the Minister should act in the public interest. It should not be a private matter. Could the Minister not consider a system such as operates within the Department of Tourism and Trade where there is an independent product committee? Such a committee, even if the Minister was involved, would be far more open and transparent. We understand the parameters under which licences are granted, but a cloak of secrecy surrounds the issue. If the Minister meant what he said in December last about transparency, if he really means what he says today about transparency, it is necessary to change the system.
I do not disagree with the Deputy in relation to the desirability of making the whole system transparent. There are technical elements which do not help transparency. One of the main arguments relates to the measurements themselves and the conventions under which they are made. That is all the more reason it is necessary to be explicit and transparent. I take on board the point made by the Deputy regarding open involvement in the process. There may be some merit in having a form of independent advisory committee to advise the Minister on this area, and to have people of high repute involved in such a committee so that it can be clearly seen to represent the public interest and to be open as to criteria. There are many arguments about this, I have made some arguments about it myself. An individual may say he cannot understand what is happening in relation to his case, but the deeper one goes into it the more technical it becomes. Therefore, much work is required to make it clear. That is what I intend to do in the first instance by producing a document which will set out such criteria and how they will be implemented. It may be necessary to go further than that and to make sure that Ireland has a licensing system which is fair to our own fishermen, because some countries seem to adopt a less rigorous approach to the detail of the licensing system. The systems exist and they can be compared. They look similar, but when one gets down to the detail one finds that different kinds of decisions are being made. It needs to be looked at broadly but I will try to hurry up my activity in that area.
