Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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100. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the drafting of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction (Amendment) Bill; and when this will be brought before Dáil Éireann. [18095/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An amendment is proposed to the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 in order to address a number of issues. Firstly it is required under the Fisheries Control Regulation (EU) 1224/2009 to implement a points system for skippers of fishing vessels found to have committed serious fishery infringements. Secondly it is intended to introduce a system of Fixed Penalty Notices for minor fishery infringements; this will deliver on a commitment in the Programme for Government. Thirdly it is intended to affirm in legislation that fishing quotas are a national resource. In addition to this, it is intended that the Bill will resolve some typographical errors and introduce a number of miscellaneous minor amendments. The implementation of the Points system and the system of fixed penalties have proved to be legally complex systems to draft.

The proposal to amend the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act to address these matters was sent to Public Consultation, accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Analysis which looked at the implementation of these commitments and sets out the legal parameters within which the amended legislation must fit.

The consultation period was completed on 9 January 2015 and a range of responses were received which will be considered in the drafting of the Bill. It is intended that the Heads of Bill will be submitted to Government in the Autumn at which time the Bill can commence its legislative passage.