Results 1-20 of 29 for sfpa segment:7932733

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Jackie Cahill: For the first session on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the sea-fisheries (amendment) Bill 2020, the 2020 PwC review of organisational capability of the SFPA and the European Commission's decision to revoke the Irish control plan for weighing of fishery products after transport, I welcome the following representatives of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA: Dr. Susan Steele,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Michael Collins: ...asked to issue a request through the Oireachtas committee, although it might be difficult in this pandemic time, for us to be able to visit processing plants with representatives of the EU, the SFPA, the Department and so on to let everyone have their say. The exact same thing is suggested for whitefish, shellfish, lobster, shrimp and crab and it would be good for them to visit co-ops in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...responsibility of the operator. The law states that all wild-caught fisheries products must be weighed at landing before transport, and there are a number of potential derogations. In 2012, the SFPA submitted and obtained Commission approval for derogations and there were five separate plans that we submitted at that point. These were a control plan, two sampling plans and common...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Does the SFPA believe that a person or persons facing charges that impact on their reputations and livelihoods have a right to be presented with the evidence so that they can defend themselves?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...would damage his or her reputation or livelihood would expect the evidence that had led to those charges to be presented to him or her so that the person could defend himself or herself. Does the SFPA agree with that as a right or as a principle of law?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank Dr. Steele. Apparently, the European Commission audit that was made available to the SFPA and the Government in 2018 covers the period from 2012 to early 2015. This audit was presented to the SFPA, which then chose to carry out an administrative inquiry. I am not sure about the SFPA's administrative inquiry, but the audit has been leaked to a range of national media. There have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Dr. Susan Steele: The SFPA takes its data protection commitments seriously. In any situation where data have been leaked, we have taken it seriously. Regarding the audit and the administrative inquiry, the SFPA is bound by legislation to carry out the administrative inquiry. It is not that we choose to carry it out. Rather, following an audit, the Commission will request an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Dr. Susan Steele: I will answer, although I see that Mr. Kinneen also wants to contribute. It has been stated on the record that the SFPA strongly supports the publication of all Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, DG MARE, audits of all member states and third countries. When we deal with audits of food controls by the Directorate General for Health and Food Safety, DG...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...the fish go over is state of the art. It is virtually impossible to tamper with it. It is sealed. There is closed-circuit television. The weighing system is monitored round the clock by the SFPA. Therefore, the SFPA has its eyes on it. It is a National Standards Authority of Ireland, NSAI, weighing system. That authority can inspect it at any time. That is the front-of-house...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...effect that there has been a criminal conviction against an individual processor for tampering with weighing equipment — weighing equipment that was inspected and approved by both the NSAI and SFPA in good faith. One aspect of the matter is we need to have more robust ways of ensuring weighing equipment is protected. We have made a considerable effort to ensure we would learn...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Martin Browne: Deputy Mac Lochlainn covered two of the questions I wanted to ask. On the issue of Killybegs, the SFPA was initially involved with the terms of reference and the planning and design of the system, yet it is now saying it is not up to scratch and has refused to authorise it. Why is that? Let me return to a point raised by Deputy Mac Lochlainn. Surely it is crazy that the fishing industry...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...the Commission at this time. That is what I can say on the first matter that was raised about the weighing equipment that is currently on the pier in Killybegs. In terms of the mandate of the SFPA and it covering quality and control, in the significant mandate of the SFPA that was described, that I gave in my opening statement and went through it earlier, and I am conscious of time so we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...of the new arrangements in place for the weighing of fish before transport. It is worthwhile taking note of the sampling plans, which greatly reduce the amount of fish that has to be weighed. The SFPA will do everything to facilitate and promote compliance with the requirement by buyers and fishers. To that effect, we would support EU funding for the purchase of suitable scales and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Christopher O'Sullivan: ...and Exporters Association to be presented to the committee at our next meeting. It states: A subsequent Administrative Inquiry was required by the EU Commission to be carried out. The SFPA undertook this inquiry during 2019. Again no input was sought from us as a sector. Does the SFPA accept, therefore, that the reason we are here relates to a consistent lack of consultation with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...this is an EU decision. The removal of the control plan was a removal of a derogation that Ireland had. This decision, through the EU, involves significant changes to weighing practice and the SFPA is working to ensure the industry can introduce them efficiently and in a way that assures compliance with the regulations. We are working with Union Hall through the Clonakilty port office...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

...on the questions the Deputy asked. What he described, the walk through he was given in Union Hall, sounds to me as if they have a best-practice system in place there. As an organisation, the SFPA is doing everything to minimise the impact of where we stand at present to deal with the revocation of the control plan. Part of that strategy is to have a mapping in place for the major...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Thomas Pringle: I thank Dr. Steele and the other members of the SFPA for attending here. I would like to read one paragraph of the document they submitted to the committee and ask a question. It states: ... commission identified that the operators did not have in place a "weighing system fit for purpose" and the audit identified manipulation of weighing systems. Moreover, although aware of these...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Dr. Susan Steele: I thank Deputy Pringle. I am conscious that we are eating into time and I will be as quick as I can on these. On the manipulation of scales, where there have been cases, the SFPA has prepared cases for the DPP. One case has gone through the courts and another case has not gone through the courts. However, these cases, in the view of the Commission and in the view of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Thomas Pringle: ...that within two months a new procedure will be in place, which is very optimistic. It will be a year or a year and half, probably, before it happens. How soon will the interim measures the SFPA is putting in place be in place? That is vitally important. They should be in place, I believe, within the next month or so to run until the period during which this will be accepted. When will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Fishing Industry: Discussion (11 May 2021)

Jackie Cahill: I apologise to the witnesses who have been in the lobby waiting. We have eaten into the hour of their time, but I felt it was important that members get the chance to question the SFPA extensively and I did not want to cut any member short. The witnesses for this session were undoubtedly listening to the exchanges and I hope they found them informative. There was very intensive questioning...