Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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564. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on issuing heritage licences by his Department for rural costal and island communities as recommended in the report on promoting sustainable rural coastal and island communities by the Oireachtas joint sub-committee on fisheries; if legislative changes are needed to issue such licences; and if his Department carried out work on issuing such licences including costs that would be incurred. [53728/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 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 that Act and Ministerial Policy Directives.  As a result as Minister I am precluded under Section 3(5) of the 2003 Act from exercising any power or control in relation to individual cases, or a group of cases, with which the Licensing Authority is or may be concerned.  Licences issued by the Licensing Authority are issued to the owners of sea-fishing boats to licence the vessel concerned. 

It is important to point out that the existing licensing legislation and procedures are available to and apply to islanders engaged in commercial sea-fishing.  Island fishermen therefore already have access to a licensing regime which recognises their commercial sea-fishing activities.  I would like to stress that the existing legislation in this area provides an independent licensing process for sea-fishing boats and contributes to managing Ireland’s fishing fleet within EU rules.  

I understand that certain groups intended that heritage licences would extend to fishing for salmon.  Legislation governing licences for commercial fishing for salmon comes under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.