Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour)
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441. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a remuneration or compensation package is being considered by the EU for fishing businesses that were forced to cease operation here following the reduction in fishing quotas in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52999/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under EU Regulation, compensation is not paid to operators who cease operation. The EU Regulations allow for making payments under planned and approved decommissioning schemes whereby vessels are decommissioned (scrapped) and the capacity associated with the licence of the scrapped fishing vessel is permanently removed from the Sea Fishing Boat Register.

A major decommissioning scheme was successfully implemented in Ireland in 2008 involving the removal of 46 large whitefish fishing vessels at a cost of €36.6 million. The cost of such schemes is high and consideration of any future schemes must take account of funding available and other priorities for public investment in the seafood industry.