Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Nov 1998

Vol. 495 No. 7

Written Answers. - Fishing Vessel Licences.

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

169 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason, on recently seeking to avail of his Department's offer dated 30 May 1994 of a sea fishing boat licence and having complied with all conditions attaching to this offer, a company (details supplied) in County Wexford has been informed that a new application must be submitted; whether a tonnage certificate and fishing licence has been issued by his Department during the past two years in respect of any other dredger based in Wexford; if so, the date of application for such certificate and licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21761/98]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Dr. Woods)

An offer of a sea-fishing boat licence for a mussel dredger being imported from the Netherlands was made by the company in question on 30 April 1994, and was accepted on 6 June 1994. The company was subsequently requested on 16 August 1994, in accordance with the normal practice for vessels being introduced into the Irish fishing fleet, to arrange to have the vessel measured by my Department's Marine Survey Office.

My Department has not, to date, received the necessary measurement certificate from the company. In view of this fact, and taking account of the length of time since the licence application was originally made, the company was recently asked to make a new licence application. This application has now been received and will be processed expeditiously. Production of the necessary measurement certificate by the company would, of course, facilitate my Department in finalising this matter quickly.

Two sea fishing boat licences for mussel dredging were granted to persons or companies in County Wexford in the last two years. The applications for these licences were made on 15 July 1997 and 24 September 1997, and the licences were granted on 8 October 1997 and 3 November 1997 respectively.