Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will make a statement on the reductions to Ireland's 2006 mackerel quota arising from allegations of landings of undeclared mackerel [38850/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Earlier this year, after extensive investigation, the UK authorities reported undeclared landings of mackerel into Scotland by Irish vessels in 2005 to the EU Commission. As a result, the EU Commission deducted 6,578 tonnes from Ireland's 2006 mackerel quota under Commission Regulation No. 742 of 2006, as 'payback' for the 2005 undeclared landings.

Following extensive consultations with the EU Commission, the Attorney General's Office and industry representatives, my colleague Minister of State Browne decided that vessel owners reported for undeclared illegal landings of mackerel should be held individually responsible as far as possible. Accordingly, and following full consideration of representations made by the individuals concerned, deductions were applied to the allocations of mackerel of those vessel owners whom Minister of State Browne was satisfied had breached Community regulations and landed undeclared mackerel.

The Mackerel fishery opened on 28th October 2006. Any balance of the 6,578 tonnes deducted from Ireland's 2006 mackerel quota that is not cleared following the application of reductions in the allocations of these individual vessel owners was applied to the other vessels in the RSW Pelagic fleet on a pro-rata basis.

I believe that this management arrangement is fair and reduces as far as possible the impact on those not responsible for the reported undeclared illegal landings into Scotland.

The methodology, scale and timing of any deductions in Ireland's future mackerel quota in respect of the undeclared landings in the period 2001 to 2004 is under discussion with the EU Commission.