Results 801-820 of 13,253 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Written Answers — Coastal Erosion: Coastal Erosion (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Responsibility for coastal protection rests with the property owner, whether it be a local authority or a private individual. In July 2002 the Department requested all coastal local authorities to submit proposals, in order of priority, for consideration in the context of the 2003-06 national coast protection programmes. The Department did not receive a proposal for coastal protection works...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The statistics to which the Deputy refers were required to be included in the report to the European Commission by reference to individual instances of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy having been seriously infringed. Ireland's data could not be broken down into that level of detail. The data available to the Department did not give a breakdown of the penalty imposed by the court for...

Written Answers — Common Fisheries Policy: Common Fisheries Policy (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Commission has drawn up a report on behaviours which seriously infringed the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy in 2003. The statistics were required to be included in the report to the European Commission by reference to individual instances of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy having been seriouslyinfringed. Ireland's data could not be broken down into that level of detail. The...

Written Answers — Fisheries Offences: Fisheries Offences (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The procedures for fisheries offences are provided for in legislation. Under the Fisheries Consolidation Act 1959, as amended, penalties for fisheries offences are financial and imprisonment does not arise. Under EC regulations a person who commits a breach of the European law must be deprived of any financial benefit of his actions and in addition the penalty imposed must be both a deterrent...

Written Answers — Pelagic Fisheries: Pelagic Fisheries (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: As I have previously advised the House, new EU control requirements for pelagic fisheries were introduced in 2004. The requirements created onerous obligations for member states to ensure all landings of pelagic fish over ten tonnes were weighed in the presence of controllers. During extensive discussions with the industry on the implementation of the new EU procedures my Department acceded...

Written Answers — Pelagic Fisheries: Pelagic Fisheries (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The EU arrangements for the control of certain pelagic fisheries — horse mackerel, mackerel and north west herring fisheries — which came into effect during 2004 and were revised and extended for 2005 provide for, inter alia, the weighing in the presence of a controller of all quantities in excess of ten tonnes landed of any of these species. During the course of 2004, extensive...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessels Decommissioning: Fishing Vessels Decommissioning (14 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Taking all matters into account including the funding available to me, my priority is to address the current imbalance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities in key fisheries subject to restrictive quotas such as monkfish, hake and cod. Accordingly, I announced, on 27 April 2005, a new grant aid scheme to remove excess capacity from the whitefish sector of the fleet. The funding...

Fishing Industry. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Since January, officials of the Department and I have held a number of meetings with fishermen and processors from the south east who are engaged in the scallop industry. I am keenly aware of the problems facing this sector which are not related solely to fishing effort limits but also to additional challenges posed by high fuel costs and the impacts of implementing the mandatory EU safety...

Fishing Industry. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: A moratorium was introduced in 1999 on the basis that the kilowatt days to be introduced subsequent to that would be based on 1998 to 2002 period. The kilowatt days available this year are somewhat similar to the 2002 figure. I understand the point made by Deputy Perry that the fleet has grown since 2002, particularly in 2003. The moratorium was placed on the acceptance of applications and in...

Fishing Industry. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Deputy obviously pre-empted my reply. I am not in the business of buying time. After 24 years in this House I am not in the business of trying to deceive anybody. I was dealing with the facts of 2003 and the decision did not result from December of last year. There should be no ambiguity about that and December this year will not resolve it either. It is something which we all bought into...

Fishing Industry. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I have asked Padraig White to consider all these factors. As an indication of the urgency with which this matter is being treated, I spoke to the fishermen and Friday and Saturday and Mr. White was in the south east on Monday and yesterday to familiarise himself with the situation. I look forward to receiving his report and hope we can eventually reach a satisfactory conclusion. I am aware of...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 13 together. The lost at sea scheme was introduced in June 2001, following consultation with the fishing industry representative organisations, to enable qualifying applicants under the scheme to receive replacement capacity in respect of fishing boats lost at sea between 1980 and the establishment of the fishing boat register in 1990. The closing date...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Ombudsman's statement that the scheme is both deficient and flawed is in the public arena but I am quite confident that neither the Minister who was responsible nor the officials set out to advertise it in papers that would not be read by interested parties and those whose vessels were lost at sea. I take the point the in the case of a number of the vessels that were lost at sea, family...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I do not have the details on where the scheme was advertised but from recollection I believe it was advertised in the marine-related papers. Although I do not have this information or the names of the applicants who were successful under the scheme, I will make it available to Deputies Broughan and Perry within the next 24 hours.

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I am anxious that all schemes be advertised as extensively as possible. Although I am not exactly sure of the extent to which the lost at sea scheme was advertised, I was aware of it. I was not a Member of the House at the time but was an MEP. I know of the cases to which the Deputies are referring. The contention is that it was not dealt with at the time and that the application was not...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I stated EU legislation prohibits the re-introduction of fishing-boat capacity on the basis of the removal of capacity supported by public aid. That is a fact. Having been brought up in west Donegal and realising the importance of fishing, I have great sympathy for those who have lost their vessels at sea. Many of them received no compensation from insurance or the State and I have great...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: If tonnage is not back on the register within two years, it is a question of either use it or lose it. That is well known at this stage.

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I cannot confirm whether the Department has a list of all fishing vessels lost at sea. No doubt, it has a list of those reported to have been lost at sea. However, it became more important to have vessels on the register in recent years when the tonnage became a very valuable asset. If I can obtain that information, I certainly will. I can answer questions generally. If there are specific...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: ——and the idea was a good one. Unfortunately, the issue of state aid raised its head. We have been in discussion with the Attorney General's office for some time and I have asked the assistant secretary to meet the Commission in Brussels this month to try to resolve the difficulties involved. We are providing a reasonable amount of money to various counties to assist them and give them...

Lost at Sea Scheme. (15 Jun 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I never wish to mislead the House. For that reason I emphasise that whatever is in the Department will be made available. I am well aware of the vessel to which the Deputy referred. I was one of the first on the scene when the news broke. I presume he is referring to the vessel that went aground off Cloughglass in our constituency as well as all the others. After a vessel is lost at sea or...