Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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300. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will suspend all State funding under the Seafood Development Programme 2014 to 2020 in view of the clear conflict of interest that arises between the advisory and regulatory work of both the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, which are both under the direct staffing and budgetary control of the fisheries development division of his Department, a situation that may only undermine public confidence in the real independence of these agencies. [26419/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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301. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will transfer responsibility for the governance of the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to another Government Department, or at least to another division of his own Department, in view of the conflict of interest that arises between the advisory and regular work of these agencies and the industrial development role of the fisheries division, and thereby help to restore public confidence in the real independence of these regulatory agencies. [26420/15]

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 495 of 9 June 2015, if he will now immediately transfer responsibility for the governance of the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority either to another Government Department or at least to another division within his own Department, in view of the clear conflict of interest for these agencies under the current arrangements, and thereby help to restore public confidence in the real independence of the advisory and regulatory work of both agencies. [26418/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300, 301 and 336 together.

As I previously said in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 495 of 9 June 2015, I am satisfied that arrangements for corporate governance oversight of agencies under the aegis of my Department are appropriate. I also re-iterate my statement on the independence of the performance of the functions of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority set down in section 46 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, as made in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 218 of 6 May.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority is accountable to Dáil Committees and Section 68 of the Act provides that the Authority from time to time, and whenever so requested shall account for the performance of the functions of the Authority to a Committee of one or both Houses of the Oireachtas and shall have regard to any recommendations of such Committee relevant to its functions. A specific complaints procedure is also provided for under Section 49 of the Act. This allows the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to appoint one or more persons from outside the Authority as “Complaints Officers” to consider and furnish a report on any complaint made by a member of the public in relation to the enforcement of sea-fisheries law or food safety law. The Authority is required to consider such a report and advise the complainant and the Complaints Officer of its decision in the matter. It should be noted however, that a complaint cannot be considered if the matter relates to proceedings before a court or other tribunal or if it is not made within 28 days after the subject matter of the complaint arose or if it is the subject of a complaint to the Ombudsman or an appeal to the Information commissioner.

Both the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute are important agencies in contributing to Ireland’s role in the Common Fisheries Policy and the regulatory and advisory work of the respective agencies is held in high regard across the EU and internationally.