Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On a particular incident, that is something that operates entirely separate to me, as Minister. It is overseen entirely by the enforcement authorities, which I have no role in or which does not get reported directly to me either. Any actions that would be taken would be dealt with in terms of engaging with the justice authorities within the State, which obviously operate entirely separate from Government as well.

On Deputy Browne's question on what is a serious infringement versus a minor one, the determination panel determines whether a serious infringement has occurred and whether the alleged master was the master of the boat when it occurred. The provisions of the EU IUU regulation set down activities that are considered as serious infringements depending on the gravity of the infringement in question which shall be determined taking into account criteria such as the damage done, its value, the extent of the infringement or its reputation. The determination panel makes that determination having considered all the evidence and takes into account the criteria set down in the regulation and any other criteria it considers relevant. If it is minor, it does not get penalty points, but if it is regarded by the determination panel as a serious infringement then it does, and the determination panel has criteria which are set down internationally as to what meets that threshold.