Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the fact that a Sea Fisheries Protection Authority officer spent the week of 11 to 18 February 2009 on board a British naval vessel, HMS Severn, during which time the vessel conducted patrols in Irish waters and facilitated an inspection of two Irish fishing vessels. [11737/09]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 939: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the authority under which the HMS Severn conducted fishery patrols in Irish waters with a Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority officer on board on 17 February 2009. [11005/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 939 together.

I understand that the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) recently participated in a Joint Deployment operation under the auspices of the Community Fisheries Control Agency (CFCA), a European Union body established in 2005 to organise operational coordination of fisheries control and inspection activities by the Member States.

The joint deployment plans of the CFCA are the vehicle through which that Agency organises operational coordination between Member States. Member States pool the national human and material means of control and inspection under the JDPs whilst the CFCA coordinates the deployment of these means.

This Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 clearly provides that the SFPA is independent in the exercise of its functions and as such I have no remit as to its work programme or its deployment of resources. If the Deputies require any further information on the operational activities of the SFPA they should contact that body directly.