Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Bord Iascaigh Mhara is the leading provider of vocational training to the seafood industry. By providing accredited training services to fishing, aquaculture and processing personnel, it underpins this indigenous industry and adds to its skill set. Bord Iascaigh Mhara's seafood industry training programmes are delivered through its training centres at the National Fisheries College in Greencastle, the regional fisheries centre in Castletownbere, its three mobile coastal training units and its seafood development centre in Clonakilty. The National Fisheries College and the regional fisheries centre are equipped to deliver a broad range of courses that are accredited by the Department of Transport and the Further Education and Training Awards Council.

Deputy Colreavy probably knows all of that, so I will answer his question. I do not want to talk my way out of answering it, which is something may previous Ministers were perceived to do. The employment contract of a master mariner instructor in the regional fisheries centre in Castletownbere concluded in August 2008. As a result, the skipper full certificate of competency course could not be offered in Castletownbere and aspiring candidates were redirected to Bord Iascaigh Mhara's National Fisheries College in Greencastle, County Donegal. Following the retirement of a master mariner in Greencastle last December, Bord Iascaigh Mhara had to cancel the skipper full certificate course there. That was alluded to in the Deputy's question. My Department and Bord Iascaigh Mhara have commenced discussions on addressing the personnel needs of the delivery of the skipper full certificate course, in the context of the board's employment control framework targets.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara has not been able to fill positions that became vacant when people retired, essentially, as a result of the recruitment ban. It is crazy that the board does not have the skill set to provide the full skipper course about which Deputy Colreavy asked. Over the past 18 months or so, there has been a significant increase in interest in the fisheries sector. For the first time in many years, young people want to enter the fishing industry, for example, by becoming skippers and deck hands. Many courses are still on offer and are being availed of. The training course that leads to the highest qualification for the skippers of fishing vessels in Ireland is not being provided at the moment. We need to resolve that issue with Bord Iascaigh Mhara. I am trying to do that at the moment. It will require sanction from the Department of Finance.

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