Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries

Aquaculture and Tourism: Discussion (Resumed)

10:10 am

Mr. Denis Maher:

I shall lead the responses but I shall defer questions on the activities of IFI to its chief executive, Dr. Ciarán Byrne.

The Deputies have made pertinent points. I was keen to emphasise in our opening statement that we strongly believe in a cohesive approach among stakeholders and that includes agencies and Departments. I was also keen to emphasise that we are one component of an overall inshore basket of activities.

I shall now respond to the specific questions. Deputy Ó Cuív asked whether there was talk of an umbrella group or co-operation among State agencies and everything else. I shall defer that question to Dr. Byrne.