Minister is witness

Ex Marine Minister Frank Fahey TD to be Witness at Agriculture Committee’s Lost at Sea Inquiry



5th May 2010

The Minister who had direct responsibility for administering the Lost at Sea Scheme, former Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahey TD will answer questions at tomorrow’s (6th) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

The meeting will take place at 10 am in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.

The Committee is considering this issue following a recommendation made by the Ombudsman regarding the scheme. She concluded that a Donegal family had not received fair treatment when it was excluded from the scheme and recommended that they be paid compensation. The Department of Agriculture has rejected the Ombudsman’s conclusions.

Committee Chairman, Johnny Brady TD said;
“The Committee has resolved to examine this matter, and in an effort to give a fair and balanced analysis has decided to speak to all interested parties.

We have already met with the Ombudsman and tomorrow’s meeting will give an opportunity for the former Minister who had direct oversight of the scheme at the time to answers some of the claims which have been made regarding his handling of the scheme.”

The Committee will also meet in the coming weeks with the current Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and officials from that Department. The Committee intends to issue a report to both Houses of the Oireachtas following its final deliberations.

The Lost at Sea Scheme was initiated by Mr Fahey in 2001 and offered compensation to families whose vessels had been lost at sea. The Ombudsman’s report concerned the case of the Byrne family. Francis Byrne and his sixteen year old son were lost with their fishing vessel in 1981. The Ombudsman found that there had been maladministration in the set up of the scheme.

The Committee can be viewed on line at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o