The Ombudsman has said that the Oireachtas has the task of deciding who is right in relation to her findings of the Lost at Sea scheme.
Emily O'Reilly said that despite her best efforts the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food ‘continues to dispute my findings and recommendations and I have been unable to resolve the impasse.’
The Ombudsman's report into the scheme was published on 14 December 2009. The Ombudsman published her report after her recommendations were rejected by a government department for only the second time in the 25-year history of the Office.
The Lost at Sea scheme was established in 2001. It allowed owners of fishing vehicles whose boats had been lost at sea to apply for ‘replacement capacity’.
An application by a family in Donegal, the Byrne family, was rejected by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, which had control of fisheries at the time. The application was made after the deadline had expired.
The Ombudsman found that the advertising process regarding the scheme should have been more thorough, comprehensive and targeted. She recommended financial compensation of €245,570 be paid to the Byrne family.
The Department of Agriculture rejected this and said it handled the Byrne family's application fairly.
There are to be Dáil statements on the Lost at Sea scheme tomorrow.
