Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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282. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 94 of 11 June 2014, if he will identify the scientific journal to which the research has been submitted and when it is expected to be published; if Inland Fisheries Ireland will supply details of this important environmental information in the interim, in accordance with the provisions of the public participation pillar of the Aarhus Convention and the access to environmental information pillar. [28334/14]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I can advise the Deputy that further to Question No. 94 of 11 June 2014 that the scientific paper has been submitted to the journal, "Fisheries Research" and is going through the peer review process. Once published will be made available on the IFI website.

IFI endeavours to publish as much of its scientific research as possible and in that regard the ultimate form of publication is in a reputable peer reviewed international scientific journal. The significance of the peer review process in the case of all published papers is that it rigorously tests all of the assumptions and statements made in papers and undoubtedly strengthens these and clarifies issues. The paper referred to by the Deputy is currently undergoing the peer review process and IFI expect this process to be completed shortly and the paper will be made available once published by the Journal. IFI would welcome the opportunity to have the lead author brief the Deputy on the paper before the formal publication by the Journal.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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283. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 11 June 2014, in which he states there was no omission from the list previously supplied, if he will now confirm the following facts, that IFI an or its predecessors were co-authors of the SUMBAWS report and thus the report itself falls under the scope of PQ 18147/14 and it should have been cited in the response; that the scientific paper cited in his response contains data not included in the SUMBAWS report as that data was not available at the time of making the SUMBAWS report and thus SUMBAWS itself should have been included in the response given to Parliamentary Question No. 110 of 16 April 2014; that the SUMBAWS report contains a large section regarding Irish research on sea trout interactions with sea lice and that this research was not cited in any other paper or publication from IFI and thus should have been listed in the response given to Parliamentary Question No.110 of 16 April 2014; further, on foot of the above the way he can contend that there were no omissions in his answers to Parliamentary Question No. 96 of 11 June 2014 and Parliamentary Question No. 110 of 16 April 2014; and if he will now correct the record. [28335/14]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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284. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will now instruct his Department and Inland Fisheries Ireland to make public the important research findings regarding salmon and sea trout contained within the SUMBAWS report. [28336/14]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions 283 and 284 together.

I refer the Deputy to the reply to Question No 96 of 11 June 2014. The position remains as set out in that reply and the issue of correcting the record does not arise.

The Deputy originally requested the full title of all pieces of research initiated or on behalf of IFI, either separately or collaboratively with other bodies, for each of the years 2003 to 2013. The SUMBAWS project was not initiated by, or on behalf of IFI or any of its predecessors. The then Central Fisheries Board were invited to participate in three of the eight work packages of the project, and as I have already clarified the SUMBAWS project was an EU project and was coordinated by the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. The SUMBAWS report was authored by Prof. Chris Todd and Dr Neil Hazon of the University of St. Andrews, and it was then submitted to the EU.

The IFI research elements of the project were included in the information already supplied to the Deputy. As the Deputy will appreciate as the University of St. Andrews are the project Co-ordinators the release of the report and the information contained therein is a matter entirely for them.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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285. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources further to Parliamentary Question No. 95 of 11 June 2014, if Inland Fisheries Ireland has engaged communication consultants partially for the purpose outlined in that question; if so, will he provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28337/14]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I refer the Deputy to the reply to question No. 95 of 11 June 2014. The position remains unchanged.