Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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825. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason a person (details supplied) is ineligible for the eel hardship fund; his plans for redress for this class of eel fisherman; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45032/18]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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A Support Fund of €3 million has been established by the Government to address the hardship experienced by commercial eel fishermen and women in the light of the closure of the commercial eel fishery for conservation reasons. The fund is administered by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI).The fund is available to all persons who were the holder of a commercial public eel licence or an eel fishing permit from the E.S.B. in the 2007 season (the base year). The 5 reckonable years for payments under the scheme are 2003-2007. In respect of former fishermen and women who were the holder of a licence or permit in the base year, payment will involve a tax free element for each of the 5 reckonable years for which the applicant was a licence or permit holder and a taxable element based on the average annual catch of the applicant during the reckonable years.

Based on the scheme criteria, the eligibility of the person referred to by the Deputy as having held a permit to fish for eels can be definitively established on receipt of an application and the submission of supporting documents.  

The scheme is currently open for applications which must be received by 5.00pm 30 November 2018. An application form and detailed information on the scheme can be obtained from any IFI Office or by downloading the relevant documentation from the IFI website www.fisheriesireland.ie.

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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826. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to review the cessation of eel fishing here; if the matter will be revisited in the future on the basis of a review of increasing stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45033/18]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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827. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to increase the budget for the eel hardship fund based on demand; if there is scope to increase funding in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45034/18]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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834. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will review the eel hardship fund administration to take into account that those with more than one licence were affected more detrimentally than those with just one licence in view of the fact that only one payment per fisher can be received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45309/18]

Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 826, 827 and 834 together.

Ireland's Eel Management Plan (EMP) was accepted by the EU in 2009 under the EU Eel Regulation 1100/2007. The measures in the Management Plan, including the cessation of commercial fishing, was comprehensively reviewed in 2012, 2015 and again this year.  The reviews included scientific assessments from the independent Standing Scientific Committee for eels comprising scientists from a range of organisations in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

My Department has also provided funding for IFI for a new collaborative research initiative involving IFI scientists and a number of former eel fishermen to further develop national knowledge of the species and its medium to longer term potential for recovery. This scientific fishery was commenced in 2016 for a period of three years.

The latest advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is that “the status of eel remains critical and that all anthropogenic mortality (e.g. recreational and commercial fishing, hydropower, pumping stations, and pollution) affecting production and escapement of silver eels should be reduced to – or kept as close to – zero as possible".   The European Eel remains on the United Nations red list of critically endangered species

Against this background, the Government has introduced a scheme to provide a level of restitution payment to former eel fishermen and women following consultation with the European Commission and advice from the Revenue Commissioners.

Fishing for eel was by way of public licence and there is no property right attaching to such public licences. Consequently, the issue of “compensation” is not relevant or appropriate.

As part of the consultations, enquiries were made as regards the possibility of EU funding and it was made clear that EU funding for such a measure would not be made available.   In that context, and to provide some measure of support, Exchequer funding was secured, to be disbursed over a 3 year period, to qualifying former holders of a licence or permit to fish for eel.  It is important to note that this funding was secured against a background of a large number of competing interests for public funding from all sectors in the State.  Funding has been provided to my Department for each of the years 2018-2020 and can only be disbursed on this basis.

To qualify for the funding, former fishermen and women have to have held a State public licence or an ESB permit in the base year 2007.  The payment elements are calculated over the 5 reckonable years 2003 -2007.  Payments to those former fishermen and women who qualify on foot of being a licence or permit holder in the base year will be made in respect of two elements:

1. The first element is payment on the basis that a qualifying applicant was the holder of either a State fishing licence or an ESB permit.  It is not in respect of each licence or permit held.  This element is tax free and payment will be made in respect of each year in the period 2003-2007 that the applicant was a licence or permit holder.  Payments are weighted towards the earlier years to facilitate former fishermen and women with the longest track record of being a licensee or permit holder.

2. The second element is based on average annual catch over the period 2003-2007 based on the catches declared by each individual applicant in these years.