Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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25. To ask the Minister for Defence the role of the Naval Service in fishery protection operations in the past year; and if there are any plans to increase same. [29121/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service, as provided in the White Paper on Defence (2000), is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with national legislation and the State’s obligations as a member of the European Union. In its fishery protection role, the Naval Service is committed to having at least three vessels on patrol within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone at any one time. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, the Naval Service is empowered to board and inspect vessels and their cargos, and when necessary to formally detain vessels and direct them to port for arrest by An Garda Síochána.

In 2012, the Naval Service carried out a total of 1,258 patrol days and undertook 1,329 boardings of vessels, issued 41 warnings and detained 20 vessels. In addition, the Air Corps’ CASA Maritime Patrol aircraft conducted 241 missions throughout the year. The Air Corps operates closely with Naval Service vessels at sea to promote compliance with national and EU fisheries legislation.

In order to achieve compliance with quota and other conservation legislation under the Common Fisheries Policy, Naval Service fisheries protection operations and priorities are agreed each year between the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. For 2013, the Naval Service is committed to 1,267 patrol days whilst the Air Corps will carry out 300 maritime air patrols. The role of the Naval Service and the Air Corps in this regard is coordinated by the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) which is based in the Naval Headquarters at Haulbowline.

My Department is currently in the process of entering into a renewed Service Level Agreement with the SFPA which will help to further improve co-ordination and collaboration in relation to this important role for the Naval Service.

The Naval Service is currently equipped with a total of eight patrol vessels. In the near future, two of the oldest vessels will be replaced with two new patrol vessels which will be delivered in early 2014 and 2015 respectively. Together with the refurbishment of other vessels in the fleet, this will help to ensure that the Naval Service can maintain its current outputs and meet all agreed targets.