Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 627: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will support the fishing for jobs initiative (details supplied). [19947/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am fully supportive any genuine efforts to create or maintain employment in all sectors.

My Department is responsible for the management maintenance and development of six Fishery Harbour Centres located at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. Any property held under lease from my Department at the Fishery Harbour Centres in subject to an individual legal agreement (the lease) between the tenant and my Department. The lease sets out the terms and conditions that apply to the individual property and it is agreed and signed by the tenant and landlord at the commencement of the lease period. In general leases signed prior to the application of Section 132 of the land Coveyancing Law Reform Act, 2009, have what are referred to as "upward only rent reviews".

All leased properties at the six Fishery Harbour Centres are subject to rent reviews in accordance with the rent review terms and conditions of the individual lease. My Department notifies the tenant of the rent review and the Open Market Value of the premises is assessed, by a qualified valuer.

If a tenant is not in agreement with a revised valuation the lease document sets out a resolution mechanism by way of the nomination of a Chartered Surveyor, agreed by both the tenant and my Department, to determine the rent.

In the current economic climate and in recognition of the difficulties currently being faced by some businesses operating in my Department's Fishery Harbour Centres I have decided to apply a nil increase on rent reviews falling due in the years 2008 -2012.