Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)

This is already covered, the phrase "or not reasonable to ascertain" is included. If someone bought fish without documentation and went to court, he would be caught. If someone bought the fish and asked for the documentation, took copies of it and subsequently discovered the fish were illegally caught and the documents were fraudulent, any reasonable court would accept the steps he had taken. It would be reasonable to argue that it was not possible to know the documents were forged or that a regulation was being contravened. That is a standard provision in legislation of this kind. It offers a defence but it does not totally exonerate the person concerned from making reasonable checks. The onus should fall on the person to make such checks and that is what the Bill provides. The wording is sufficient.