Ms Oonagh Buckley:

I will answer a number of those questions. At a certain point I will hand over to Mr. Dooley, who would have more information about the information sessions and what was done with employees. I will take the questions in reverse order.

We have found substantial numbers of employment breaches. The figures I have, which are for up to 8 September, show 198 employment breaches across 110 vessels. Of these, 14% or 29 were employment permit breaches.

If I may, I will return to evidence given earlier in the session regarding the Naval Service referring 134 cases involving non-EEA nationals. We had a figure of 66 inspections but there was a discrepancy in this regard. I am advised that when we followed up on those reports we found in the vast majority of cases that the individuals either had permission to work in the country - they had proper employment - they had an employment permit or they were not carrying their permit on their person at the time. While the rules of the scheme require persons to carry their employment permit, as has been explained, people do not necessarily carry pieces on their person on what is likely to be a very wet fishing vessel.

A substantial number of these employment breaches related to paperwork. That is our experience in all employments. We find the vast majority of breaches of employment law in basic paperwork and this follows through into the fisheries sector and the 170 vessels.