Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when a response will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15670/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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The decommissioning of fishing vessels schemes are implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and I am advised that the person referred to has been advised by BIM in relation to the position of his application for a decommissioning grant for his vessel.

The person referred to applied to BIM on 23rd October 2005 to decommission his vessel under the "Scheme to permanently withdraw capacity from the demersal and shellfish sectors of the Irish fishing fleet". The application was evaluated by BIM and considered by the Decommissioning Approvals Board, which is made up of officials from BIM, Enterprise Ireland, the South and East Regional Assembly, the BMW Regional Assembly and the Department, at a meeting on the 16th November 2005.

The application was not approved as it did not meet the mandatory criteria of having carried out fishing activities for the minimum of 75 days in each of the two periods of 12 months from 1st October 2003 to 1st October 2005. This mandatory criteria is set down under EU Regulation 2792/1999 which establishes the rules inter alia for grant aiding the decommissioning of fishing vessels. The applicant was informed of this decision on the 16th November 2005 and was again written to on the 1st September 2006, following the appointment of an Appeals Officer, and informed of the procedures for lodging an appeal in respect of the decision of the Decommissioning Approvals Board.