Results 12,161-12,180 of 13,214 for speaker:Pat Gallagher

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Balbriggan and Skerries harbours were transferred to the control of Fingal County Council in 2004 under the Harbours Act 1996. Government policy in relation to ports, including the 11 regional harbours, is set out in the ports policy statement published in January this year by the Department. The policy statement notes that many regional harbours have neither the resources nor the capability...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Under the Fisheries Acts, primary responsibility for the management and development of the inland fisheries sector rests with the local fisheries board, in this case the South Western Regional Fisheries Board. There is, however, neither funding nor a grant scheme available through which either the Department or the fisheries board could consider providing assistance towards the purchase of...

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Under the Fisheries Acts, responsibility for enforcement of inland fisheries legislation rests primarily with the central and regional fisheries boards. As the queries raised by the Deputy are an operational matter for the Southern Regional Fisheries Board, I have asked the chief executive officer of that board to ensure that the information sought by the Deputy is collated and forwarded...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The central and regional fisheries boards devote considerable effort and resources, in collaboration with Tourism Ireland, to the promotion of angling abroad. I understand, however, that the overall decline in angling tourism is not unique to Ireland but reflects a trend widespread in Europe. The report of the tourism policy review group to the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism in...

Written Answers — Inland Waterways: Inland Waterways (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Department has been in consultation with the legal services on issues raised concerning the Youghal river bed, and is arranging to seek further advice in light of correspondence received from a number of parties.

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (18 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The 2005 small harbours programme was approved by the Minister in July 2005 and Ballycotton was not included for funding. The question of providing funding in 2006 will be considered in the context of the amount of Exchequer funding available and overall national priorities.

Written Answers — Irish Ferries: Irish Ferries (13 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The employer's of seafarers PRSI refund scheme ended on 31 December 2003. The scheme commenced in 1996 on foot of proposals put forward by the Department of the Marine; it was a Commission approved support measure, that is a State aid to facilitate the employment of seafarers in the Irish PRSI system. The scheme refunded employers of such seafarers their PRSI contribution for each of their...

Written Answers — Irish Ferries: Irish Ferries (13 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: There is no EU directive on the manning of regular passenger and ferry services operating in and between member states, in force or being considered at present by member states. If the Commission were to initiate such a proposal, I would give it very careful consideration.

Written Answers — Harbour and Port Security: Harbour and Port Security (13 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I am aware that, in line with Dublin Port Company's requirement under the Harbours Acts to run its business at all times in a cost effective and efficient manner, the company is looking into the current security arrangements at the port. In so far as any changes to the current arrangements might impact on the conditions of service or the remuneration of the harbour police, any such changes...

Written Answers — : (13 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Under the Harbour Acts, only Dublin Port Company and Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company have the power to appoint harbour police; no such harbour police exist in the other ports in the country. The current situation under the Road Traffic Acts is that any road traffic accident that occurs within a port area is investigated by the Garda Síochána, in much the same manner as an accident on a...

Written Answers — Ferry Services: Ferry Services (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: There is no EU directive on the manning of regular passenger and ferry services operating in and between member states, in force or being considered at present by member states. If the Commission were to initiate such a proposal, I would, of course, give it very careful consideration. In 1998, there was an EU Commission proposal: Commission communication on a common policy on manning of...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 187 together. As the Deputy will no doubt recall, I outlined in detail the background to this matter during an Adjournment debate in this House on 28 June 2005. I can inform the Deputy that some advice was received from the Attorney General on 29 July 2005 in this regard and further advice is awaited. A reply to the Dublin Port Company letter of 18 May...

Written Answers — Harbours and Piers: Harbours and Piers (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The harbour at Ballycotton is owned by Cork County Council and responsibility for its maintenance and development is a matter for the local authority in the first instance. In 2001 the council submitted a report prepared by consulting engineers on the estimated cost of the Ballycotton Harbour development plan. The proposed development was estimated to cost a total of €6 million. Cork County...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: In January of this year, I launched the Government's ports policy statement. The policy statement 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 provision of adequate in-time port capacity, particularly for unitised trade. The policy statement sets out a framework to ensure...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Regional Advisory Council to which the Deputy refers is the RAC for north western waters. This covers the waters to the north, west and south of Ireland, to the west of Scotland, the Irish Sea and the English Channel; which are the waters of primary interest to Irish fishermen. I was delighted to welcome the RAC to Dublin Castle for its inaugural meeting on 30 September. This is the third...

Written Answers — Port Development: Port Development (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: On 17 June 2005 Dublin Port Company wrote to me to the effect that the company had received notices of intention from a tenant to acquire the fee simple interest at the Irish Glass Bottle site. In the first instance, this is a matter for the company and I understand it is procuring legal advice in the matter. Dublin Port Company has a number of legal defences available to it and these will be...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Total allowable catches, TACs,for the various fish stocks are established each December by the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, taking account of scientific advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea on the state of the stocks. This scientific advice is being finalised and will be published in the coming weeks. This advice will be reviewed by...

Written Answers — Fishing Vessel Licences: Fishing Vessel Licences (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The fundamental aim of the fishing vessel scrapping scheme, recently announced, is to secure the permanent withdrawal of excess capacity in both the whitefish and shellfish sectors. The withdrawal premia payable under the scheme are the maximum permitted by EU regulations and are related specifically to the permanent removal of the fishing vessels concerned from the EU register of sea fishing...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: The Government has consistently ruled out buy-out as an effective means of achieving the restoration of salmon stocks and has instead, since 2002, promoted the application of quotas on commercial fishing and bag limits on angling to achieve catch reductions as the best instrument available to achieve this objective. Moreover, no convincing case has been advanced as to the public good that...

Written Answers — Fisheries Protection: Fisheries Protection (12 Oct 2005)

Pat Gallagher: Since taking up my appointment as Minister of State, I have reaffirmed the Government's acceptance of the scientific advice that reductions in the overall fishing effort are required to sustain and rebuild salmon stocks nationwide. For this reason, current Government policy has been designed to bring spawning escapement up to the level of the scientifically advised conservation limits as soon...