Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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218. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it is appropriate for his Department to control the operating and staffing resources of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute, when both the authority and the institute have responsibility for the regulatory functions that conflict with his Department's development role for the wild fishing and aquaculture industries. [17614/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The financial resources to cover the operating expenses of the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority are made available to those agencies by the Oireachtas through my Department’s Vote. The function of my Department in relation to this matter is to ensure funds voted by the Oireachtas are used for the intended purpose and in accordance with the functions of those agencies set down in statute.

Overall staffing resources for the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and human resources policies for the public sector generally are determined by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The function of my Department is to ensure that those agencies manage their staffing resources within the limits and in accordance with the policies set by Minister Howlin.

In relation to the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, section 42 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 provides that the Authority is independent in the exercise of its functions. Section 46 of the Act provides that I may give such general policy directions in writing to the Authority in relation to its functions as I consider appropriate, but that I may not exercise any power or control in relation to individual cases, or groups of cases, with which the Authority is concerned, or in relation to the performance in particular circumstances by the Authority of its functions.