Results 12,101-12,120 of 13,264 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The recently published report by the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources regarding the future management of the wild salmon resource in Ireland has illuminated the various and wide ranging issues surrounding the management of this important natural resource. When addressing the public hearings held by the joint committee in connection with the preparation of its...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Licences: Fishing Vessel Licences (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The purpose of the Sea Fisheries (Tuna and Certain Other Species) Fishing Regulations 2005 is to implement EU Regulation 1329/98 which bans the fishing for albacore tuna by means of drift net. The S.I. allows for the fishing of this stock by other legal means. In Ireland, this fishery is pursued by means of pair trawling and long lining. Ireland can authorise up to 50 boats to fish for...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I refer the Deputy to my previous reply on this matter to Question No. 176 on 12 October 2005. While I am aware of the argument that the effect of drift netting on salmon stocks is a reason for the decline in tourism angling in Ireland, I am not, however, aware of any study having been carried out that supports this particular premise. For this reason, the Department has recently taken up...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 173 and 177 together. The cost of providing the monitoring, inspection and enforcement of Ireland's sea fisheries management system is borne by both the Department of Defence and by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Department of Defence makes budgetary provision for the Naval Service and for the Air Corps, who in turn monitor...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The National Salmon Commission is a statutory body established to assist and advise me, as Minister with responsibility for the marine, in regard to the conservation, management, protection and development of the wild salmon and sea trout resource in Ireland. The salmon commission includes representatives of the commercial salmon fishing sector, the angling sector and other relevant...

Written Answers — Ferry Operations: Ferry Operations (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: At present, EU Commission initiatives in the area of seafarer employment and working conditions are being progressed by the directorate general for energy and transport, which reports to Mr. Jacques Barrat, Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Transport. In 1998, the Commission had put forward proposals for a directive on the manning of regular passenger and ferry...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 98 of 20 October 2005, catch data provided to the Department by the Southern Regional Fisheries Board on behalf of the fishermen concerned were forwarded to South Tipperary County Council. I understand that the county council has no proposals to reconsider the location of the outfall diffusers. In view of the local authority's position on the matter,...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: It would not be appropriate for me to interfere in the day-to-day operations of a commercial State body such as Dublin Port Company in the manner suggested. In January 2005, I launched the Government's ports policy statement which aims to better equip the port sector and its stakeholders to meet national and regional capacity and service needs. One of the key challenges that lies ahead is the...

Fishing Industry Development. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Mussel seed is a naturally occurring resource that requires a management and development strategy to maximise the potential return and ensure sustainability of the stock. Access arrangements to Irish and Northern Irish waters are governed by the Voisinage Agreement, a neighbourhood agreement formally recognised under the London Fisheries Convention and adopted as far back as March 1964 by 13...

Fishing Industry Development. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: If we are to make progress on this issue, the most positive step that could be taken depends on the industry, which I have invited to nominate representatives to the management committee. They would have an input into SMAC, which advises and makes recommendations to DARD in Northern Ireland and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. It has an input into the management...

Fishing Industry Development. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: There was an exchange of correspondence between the Department and several stakeholders, both individually and collectively, and the view they take is that it is not a legal entity. The advice that I have received is that it is legal and that we are bound by the March 1964 Voisinage Agreement. I do not know what the best decisive action on my part might be. However, I would have the support...

Fishing Industry Development. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I will supply it to the Deputy.

Marine Rescue Service. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I am conscious of the need for a new station house for the coastal unit at Doolin, County Clare and want to see it provided as quickly as possible. The Irish Coast Guard and the Office of Public Works have been doing everything they can to acquire a suitable site in the area, but despite intensive local discussions and negotiations it has not been possible to reach agreement for a site to...

Marine Rescue Service. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I appreciate the difficult circumstances in which the team in Doolin is working. There are 45 coastal units around the State. The Department has a programme in place to provide new stations or extensions and refurbishments to existing ones. In the past 12 months I have had the pleasure of opening many of them. It is not that Doolin is not high on the priority list. The Deputy is correct as...

Marine Rescue Service. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Templates exist and it should not take too long to design a station house. If the process got that far, the Deputy would be reasonably satisfied.

Industrial Relations. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Talks were held recently under the auspices of the Labour Court, involving Irish Ferries Limited, SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland. The Labour Court has issued its recommendations on the dispute. The Labour Court operates as an industrial relations tribunal, hearing both sides in trade disputes and then issuing recommendations setting out its opinion on the dispute and the terms on...

Industrial Relations. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: One could resolve the difficulty immediately were the parties prepared to accept the court's recommendations of this week, which I do not have. Formally, it is not seven days but, by the same token, everyone knows what the recommendations are. The Taoiseach made it blatantly obvious that the Government does not condone a situation where individuals, irrespective of where they come from, are...

Industrial Relations. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: On advice, yes. We now have an application for reflagging in Cyprus. We put a number of questions to the company in connection with this on the advice of the Office of the Attorney General. We received replies that were not what we requested. I understand that more comprehensive replies have been made as recently as today. Obviously, I must get advice from the Attorney General before I can...

Industrial Relations. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I have not met the company for a considerable time and certainly not since the announcement of the offer of redundancies.

Industrial Relations. (16 Nov 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Like the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, and others, I do not wish to interfere in internal industrial relations or in the industrial relations machinery of the Labour Court which has served us well. I recently met representatives of the unions, such as Mr. David Begg of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, representatives from the Seamen's Union...