Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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711. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the current vessel monitoring system reporting interval can be reduced from one to two hours to eight minutes to vessel tracking. [10338/17]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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712. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if switching off the vessel monitoring system and automatic identification system is an offence; and the penalties that result following prosecution. [10339/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 711 and 712 together.

Control of the fishing within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities.  Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, operational issues concerning sea fisheries control - such as the Vessel Monitoring System and the Automatic Identification System - are a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. The prosecution of infringements which are an offence under national legislation, implementing EU fisheries regulations or otherwise are carried out on behalf of the State by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Article 18 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 of 8 April 2011 provides that a Union fishing vessel subject to Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) shall not be allowed to leave a port without a fully operational satellite tracking device installed on board.

Article 20 of that Regulation provides inter alia that the master of a Union fishing vessel shall ensure that satellite tracking devices are fully operational at all times. 

In relation to frequency of data transmission and reporting intervals, Article 22 of that Regulation provides that each Member State shall ensure that its Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) receives at least once every two hours, through the Vessel Monitoring System the required information. It further provides that the FMC may require that information at shorter time intervals. 

The Naval Service acts as the official agency with responsibility for the operation of Ireland's FMC.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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713. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number incidents of pot losses that have been reported to State agencies as a result of towing by larger vessels over the past five years. [10340/17]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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714. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the State agency which has responsibilty to investigate the loss of static fishing gear caused by larger mobile, towed fishing gear. [10341/17]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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715. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the mechanisms in place to facilitate fishermen seeking compensation for pots lost to large vessels. [10342/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 713 to 715, inclusive, together.

The loss of or damage to fishing gear caused by other vessels is most effectively dealt with as a civil matter between the parties involved.  Neither my department nor the agencies under its aegis have a role in relation to this issue.