Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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212. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to issue a final response to a query (details supplied) that was submitted to his office in November 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6703/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 introduced a new fleet licensing policy aimed at ensuring equity and transparency and also introduced an independent appeals process. The Act transferred the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing to the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in section 3 of the Act and Ministerial Policy Directives.

As Minister I am unable to engage on specific licensing issues, as I am precluded by law from exercising "any power or control in relation to any particular case or group of cases with which the Licensing Authority is or may be concerned". Fleet policy is set under section 3(2) of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003, as amended by section 99 of the Sea Fisheries Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, by means of fleet policy directives.

Any amendments to current licensing policy would have to be carefully considered and analysed. I am committed to examining these proposals in detail and, in this regard, I have asked Department officials to examine in detail the potential impacts of the proposals on fleet policy submitted by a Producer Organisation. This process will involve, inter alia, an evaluation and impact analysis and is likely to take some time.

Once the analysis is completed, my Department proposes to circulate a paper incorporating these proposals to Producer Organisations for their views. Depending on the views received from the POS, a decision will then be made on whether the matter goes to full consultation with all stakeholders.