Vol. 504 No. 7
121 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if, further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 79 of 26 November 1998 and 84 of 24 February 1999, the regulations with regard to all commercial sea angling boats have been adopted in advance of the main 1999 sea angling season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12583/99]
Considerable progress has been made on drafting the required regulations and these are being finalised in conjunction with sea angling and safety interests with a view to their introduction as quickly as possible and certainly within the current year but not for the main 1999 sea angling season. A number of technical and policy issues have yet to be finally agreed but I am confident that these matters are well on the way to being resolved.
I should emphasise, of course, that the existing regime of surveying and certification, in accordance with load line statutory provisions, remains in place pending the introduction of the new regulatory regime.
