Report on marine very critical of Department

"Disturbing" evidence of a breakdown in communications between the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and its client base in coastal communities has been highlighted in an Oireachtas committee report.

The poor relationship is compounded by a "highly centralised" administration in Dublin, the report by the all-party Oireachtas Committee on the Strategic Management Initiative says.

It is in the national interest to resolve the administration's resource difficulties, given the rapidly changing nature of the fishing industry, the report says. It also recommends that the Department be decentralised as it sees no reason why it should be based in Dublin.

"However, decentralisation should mean more than moving head office to another location outside Dublin," the report warns. "Real decentralisation would mean transferring decision-making power to local offices."

The 19-month investigation is the second such scrutiny of a Government Department conducted by the committee, which is chaired by the Fianna Fail TD Mr Dick Roche and which was established in February 1998.

The first report on the Department of Agriculture highlighted difficulties farmers were experiencing in receiving payments, and as a result of this an independent appellant system is to be established.

This second study involved meeting 15 delegations in Dublin, Donegal, Waterford and Kerry, representing fishermen's associations, fish-processing companies, co-operatives, the Naval Service and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). The Department's secretary-general also met the committee twice, and staff were receptive to the need for change, Mr Roche says.

The report carried some very harsh judgments, Mr Roche acknowledged yesterday. The authors found it hard to believe there was no executive capacity or decision-making powers in any of the fishing ports, and recommends that one-stop shops be set up in fishery harbour centres for all administrative issues to be dealt with. It also calls for a full audit of the Department's regional offices.

One of the most striking features it notes in relation to the Department is its diverse range of customers, ranging from multimillion-pound fishing operators with huge ships and factories to people who maintain a few lobster pots.

It found that few clients were aware that the Department had a complaints procedure, including a "comment card", and noted that this may be because there is a lack of confidence in the system.

Failure to keep up with information technology, poor communication and an outdated and unwieldy bureaucracy are among the committee's main findings, "particularly striking when most larger trawlers have several different methods of communication and can easily keep in touch with developments ashore, if they are informed", Mr Roche said.

In fact, it heard evidence of cases where fishermen were not told of new regulations until they were boarded by sea fishery officers; and, in one case, a vessel was apprehended by the Naval Service and escorted into Galway for failing to have a licence, when this was due only to a delay in issuing licences. No charges resulted and no apology was issued to the skipper.

The report also expresses concern about claims that EU regulations are not being applied with equal severity in all jurisdictions; and that catches on Irish boats are being landed in other European ports at lower prices due to the perception that Ireland is "over-vigorous" in enforcing regulations. This trend is having a negative effect on the fish-processing industry here, it says.

Commenting on the report, the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, said his Department was engaged in a review, along with the Marine Institute and BIM, to improve customer service.