John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

This amendment is to facilitate in a practical way the appeals arrangements proposed in Part 2 of the Bill as I outlined on Second Stage. The amendment imposes a clear obligation on the licensing authority for sea-fishing boats to publish by electronic means such as the Department's website all applications for sea-fishing boat licences received on or after 1 January 2003. This will enable interested third parties to make submissions on such applications, if they wish, before a decision is made by the licensing authority. Only third parties who duly make a submission in relation to applications before a decision is made by the licensing authority can appeal a decision to the appeals officer as section 4(1)(b) stipulates. As a corollary, the amendment also obliges the licensing authority to publish by electronic means all decisions made on or after 1 January 2003 on sea-fishing boat licence applications and decisions to revoke or amend sea-fishing boat licences.