Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 429: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the situation in which fishing vessels have to be refurbished in order to qualify for decommissioning, a process which entails the actual destruction of the refurbished vessel. [38118/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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This voluntary decommissioning scheme was introduced to deliver on a key recommendation of the Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Seafood Industry 2007 to 2013 — Steering a New Course (the Cawley Report). It represents a very substantial commitment from the Government in bringing the Irish fishing fleet into balance with available recourses and ensuring that those remaining in the industry can be assured of a profitable future.

The scheme was announced last February and the closing date for receipt of all applications under this scheme was 30th April 2008. The scheme was open to vessels which, inter alia, at the time of application were registered on the Irish Register of Fishing boats in either the polyvalent or beam-trawl segment and in possession of a sea fishing boat licence. The vessel was also required to be operational, that is in compliance with all relevant legislation and capable of putting to sea.

The aim of the scheme was to remove fully functioning and active older and larger fishing vessels in the polyvalent or beam trawl segments of the Irish fleet. The removal of these vessels will increase the quotas available to the more modern competitive fishing vessels and to smaller vessels and will ensure a more sustainable and profitable fleet.