Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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481. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to add representation to the discard implementation group. [30510/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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To facilitate the phasing in of the landing obligation under the reformed Common Fisheries Policy, I established a national Discards Implementation Group (DIG) under the Chairmanship of Dr. Noel Cawley. The remit of this Group is to advise me on issues arising in the effective implementation of the new policy and to recommend practical solutions and arrangements that take into account the situation of the Irish industry. The primary aim of the group is ensure that the Irish fishing industry are fully prepared for, and engaged in, the practical implementation of the discards ban. It is the fishing industry alone that will be directly impacted by the implementation of the landing obligation and it is the individual vessel operators who will have to abide by the new rules as they are phased in and who will ensure that the landing obligation is operated successfully. It’s for that reason that the Discards Implementation Group, chaired by Dr Noel Cawley, is made up of fishing industry representatives and those who can provide expert advice such as the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara.

Consequently, I do not consider it necessary to add any further representation to the group as all those who have a direct role in implementing the landing obligation, are already represented at the DIG. I have provided that other organisations are kept updated on the Group’s deliberations to date and this will remain the case.