Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he proposes to make funding available for decommissioning of boats of less than 18 m; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44054/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Steering a New Course, the Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007-13 (The Cawley Report) recommended a restructured fishing fleet, consistent with the sustainable exploitation of available resources and economic requirements of vessel owners and the shore-based industries dependent on it.

The Cawley report prioritised in the first instance a decommissioning scheme targeting the larger vessels (18 metres and over) in the whitefish fleet to deliver a basis for both stock recovery and long term viability. This scheme was launched in February of this year.

The report also noted that a specific economic or social impact analysis should be carried out in relation to vessels under 18 metres to determine the eligibility, urgency scope and cost of carrying out a targeted decommissioning scheme for such vessels. Such an analysis has not been carried out to date and will in any case be dependent on available funding.

It is important that any decommissioning of vessels under 18 metres is targeted to take account of the overall strategy to achieve a balance between available resources and the fishing fleet as well as the impact of the current scheme. The available funding in 2009 is being made available to complete the scheme for the over 18 m vessels announced this February.