Vol. 516 No. 6
92 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to media reports that the Naval Service and the State has not been sufficiently diligent in pursuing and apprehending foreign fishing vessels which have perpetrated serious crimes, such as ramming, against Irish trawlers in the 200 mile fishing zone and in international waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8840/00]
I have been assured that the Naval Service has always reacted to complaints of intimidation and harassment involving fishing vessels. Where practicable, the fishing vessels involved are boarded and statements are taken which are then forwarded to the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources for further action.
As my colleague, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, indicated to the House in replies to questions on Wednesday last, an examination of the complex issues relating to legislative authority in this area is being undertaken by his Department in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Recent media statements are at variance with what the Minister has stated. The Irish Navy has not being pursuing perpetrators of serious crime, particularly French and Spanish boats, which have been ramming Irish fishing boats and getting away without any strictures. Can the Minister name one skipper of a French or Spanish boat who has been arrested or charged with ramming? What about the Danny Boy off Castletownbere approximately a year ago? What about the Orchidee which was rammed in international waters with the loss of two lives? No person was brought to trial for those criminal acts, and there were many other such acts. It has been put forward by legal people recently that the Naval Service is entitled to go into the 200 mile zone and pursue these marauders? Why is this not being done?
I will have further investigations carried out arising from what Deputy Deasy has said. As indicated, my colleague, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, who has primary responsibility in this area, is conducting an investigation. The last time I saw statistics on the boarding of foreign trawlers, significant numbers were boarded but I cannot—
For criminal offences like—
I cannot give a detailed answer to Deputy Deasy but I undertake to get further particulars and will be in contact with him.
I have repeatedly raised specific cases in the Dáil and nothing has happened.
This question refers to a lack of an effective response to crimes at sea. The Minister said in the White Paper and again today that he is happy with an eight ship fleet for the Naval Service. Is he satisfied in the long-term and medium term that with eight ships the Naval Service can fulfil its national and international responsibilities with regard to fishing issues, escorting ships with nuclear cargo, monitoring drug trafficking and monitoring immigration at sea, which is becoming a problem? Eight ships for the square mileage for which we have responsibility is a miserable fleet by European standards. Has the Minister any long-term plans to increase the fleet size? I accept he has increased the fleet size from seven to eight but has he plans to increase it further rather than replace it?
Has the Minister or the Department any proposals to reduce the armament on the naval ships?
Are the eight ships seaworthy at night? My understanding is that there were problems with staffing levels which made it impossible for a number of those ships to be at sea at night.
Is it true that the Naval Service has to reduce the number of patrols due to staff shortages? How can the Minister stand over a proposal in the White Paper for a naval capacity that is almost 20 times less than the European norm? Is he aware of the serious concern within the Naval Service that it has not the capacity nor is it being given the legislative back-up to do the job that is required in Irish seas while at the same time he is investing £20 million on resources on the west coast where—
The Minister may not have time to reply.
The previous Administration established a PricewaterhouseCoopers review of the Naval Service which recommended an eight ship flotilla with a stocking requirement of 11,044, and I have followed that as diligently as possible, adding the dimension that as a number of the ships were getting old they needed to be replaced more quickly. There is no problem with the ships at night time, seven of which are capable of being at sea.
Are they?
One is in for a refit. It would be very unusual if they could not be at sea at night time.
Is there enough staff to have them at sea?
I have provided every facility for them to have the staff. As far as arms are concerned, it is debatable whether one should spend resources on equipping a ship with something more important than that. On everything that has gone out so far, including the LE Róisín, about £1 million was spent on the provision of arms for that ship. Whether that will continue is a matter for negotiation. There may well be something else we could do with the £1 million in the future.
What is the legal opinion on that?
I said I would come back to the Deputy on that.
