John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 210: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the legal basis of the lost at sea scheme; on whose authority did the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources introduce the lost at sea scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35519/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Lost at Sea Scheme was a limited, time-bounded scheme introduced by the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources in the exercise of his Ministerial prerogative to introduce policies to promote the operational areas of his Department.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 211: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details on schemes (details supplied), that is, where were they advertised and promulgated; the amount the advertising of each of the schemes cost, either through the Department or Bord Iascaigh Mhara or any other body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35520/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Bord Iascaigh Mhara is the delegated authority for implementation of the Decommissioning Schemes for the fishing fleet. The scheme for the Licensing of Traditional Pot Fishing Boats in the Irish Inshore Fleet was administered by BIM on behalf of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The Salmon Hardship Scheme came under the auspices of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and was administered by BIM. BIM is an independent statutory agency and hence the internal financial management is a matter for the Board exclusively, in which the Minister does not have a role. However, the Department has forwarded the request to BIM for its consideration and for a direct reply to the Deputy.

The Department has recently had a request for the same information in relation to these schemes, including the Lost at Sea Scheme, from a member of the family involved in the Ombudsman's investigation. All aspects of that scheme, including the matter of its advertising and promulgation, have already been exhaustively examined by the Ombudsman, by the Houses of the Oireachtas, and most recently by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The Committee's final report is awaited and, in the circumstances, the Department has written to the person concerned to advise that it is not prepared to open up a separate correspondence in relation to the matter.