The European Commission has said it would be premature to investigate claims of commercial fishing irregularities in Killybegs, Co Donegal, pending the outcome of the State's own investigations, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent.
The matter is "up to the Irish Government in the first instance", a European Commission spokesman told The Irish Times. "We will monitor the situation very closely, as we are also monitoring fisheries controls generally in member-states."
A decision on infringement procedures, if any, would only be made if there was enough evidence to support this, he added.
The Commission is aware that details of the allegations have been referred by the Government to the Garda Síochána after Donegal fisherman Mr Pat Cannon claimed he had evidence of falsified documentation on fish catches by Killybegs vessels.
The Commission is taking infringement procedures against Britain, Spain and Portugal and has imposed a fine on France for failing to police illegal fishing. It also publishes an annual report on monitoring of the Common Fisheries Policy, the spokesman said.
However, the specific allegations relating to Killybegs have only recently come to the Commission's attention, following correspondence sent to it by Mr Cannon.
Mr Cannon was yesterday standing over his claims on behalf of "all the small fishermen in Ireland who had been neglected".
The Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation chief executive, Mr Seán O'Donoghue, said his organisation had "nothing to hide" and "welcomed" the decision to refer the matter to the Garda. "Given that these claims have also been made against officials of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, the Minister had no option but to take this step," Mr O'Donoghue said.
"We will co-operate fully and we hope it is a speedy investigation, as this is unfairly casting a cloud over the industry in Donegal."
He also confirmed that Mr Cannon, who is not a member of the organisation member, had written to him last July.
Mr Cannon is no stranger to controversy, having had licence difficulties with the Department. The owner of a small boat in Killybegs and brother-in-law of one of the port's most successful vessel owners, he was skipper of a Galway boat which landed into the Donegal port last year.
He was also associated with a 40-metre Spanish vessel with Japanese business links which was spotted on several occasions inside the six-mile limit off south Donegal last year. It had no licence from the Irish authorities at the time.
A spokeswoman for the Minister, Mr Dempsey, said all files had been handed to the Garda.
The Naval Service, which is primarily responsible for enforcing the Common Fisheries Policy in Irish waters - including inspection of logbooks and relevant documentation - said it had received no information yet on the matter.
The Minister of State for the Marine, Mr Pat the Cope Gallagher, who has been given responsibility for marine matters by Mr Dempsey since the Cabinet reshuffle, said it would be inappropriate for him to make any comment on the investigation yesterday.
The development comes at a time when the Department has been accused of causing undue delays in payment of €10 million in EU and State grant aid due to 11 owners of new whitefish vessels.
Mr Lorcan Ó Cinnéide of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation said: "These projects involve a total investment of some €40 million, and the grants were due to be paid by Bord Iascaigh Mhara immediately upon the registration of the vessels. This means that the owners concerned have had to rely on expensive bridging finance to finance the deficit over many months."