Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006

Consultative Committee.

48.— (1) The Minister shall, for the purposes of consultations and liaison with the sea-fisheries and seafood sectors and other relevant interests on matters relating to the functions of the Authority, establish a body to be known in the Irish language as An Coiste Sainchomhairleach um Chosaint Iascaigh Mhara or, in the English language, the Sea-Fisheries Protection Consultative Committee (referred to in this Chapter as the “Consultative Committee”) and appoint the members of the Consultative Committee.

(2) The Consultative Committee shall have the following functions—

(a) to inform the Authority of concerns and views of the sea-fisheries and seafood sectors regarding the functions of the Authority,

(b) to seek to keep the sea-fisheries and seafood sectors generally informed of the applicable sea-fisheries law and food safety law, as well as of the standards, guidelines, practices and procedures operated by the Authority in relation to the enforcement of that law,

(c) to advise the Authority on keeping the burden on the sea-fisheries and seafood sectors generally of compliance with that law to the minimum possible consistent with the essential purposes and the effective enforcement of that law,

(d) to advise the Authority of its views on the fairness and consistency of the operations of the Authority,

(e) to seek the delivery of a high standard of service by the Authority.

(3) The Consultative Committee shall have no function in relation to detailed operational matters or individual cases or groups of cases with which the Authority is or may be concerned.

(4) The Minister or the Authority may consult the Consultative Committee on any matters arising in relation to the functions of the Authority.

(5) The Consultative Committee shall consist of not more than 14 members comprising—

(a) representatives of the following sectors:

(i) sea-fishing catching;

(ii) inshore fishing;

(iii) seafood processing;

(iv) aquaculture;

and

(b) other persons with particular expertise or experience in relation to marine matters (including marine environment and marine research) of relevance to the functions of the Authority.

(6) A member may resign from office by written notice given to the Minister and the resignation shall take effect on the date specified in the notice or on the date on which the Minister receives the notice whichever is the later.

(7) The Consultative Committee may act notwithstanding a vacancy or vacancies in its membership.

(8) The Minister may appoint a person to fill a casual vacancy which arises in the membership of the Consultative Committee due to the death, resignation or removal of a member and the person so appointed shall be appointed in the same manner as the member who occasioned the casual vacancy.

(9) The Minister in appointing members of the Consultative Committee, shall ensure, in as far as is practicable, an equitable balance between men and women in the composition of the Consultative Committee.

(10) The Minister shall appoint the chairperson and deputy chairperson of the Consultative Committee from among the members of the Consultative Committee for such period as is specified in the appointment and may reappoint a chairperson and deputy chairperson for a further specified period or further specified periods. The chairperson or deputy chairperson ceases to be the chairperson or deputy chairperson on ceasing to be a member of the Consultative Committee.

(11) The Minister may remove from office a member of the Consultative Committee in the following circumstances—

(a) where, in the opinion of the Minister, the member has become incapable through ill-health of being a member of the Consultative Committee,

(b) for stated misbehaviour,

(c) in the case of a person appointed to represent a sector referred to in paragraph (a) of subsection (5), where the person is no longer a representative, or

(d) where removal of the member appears to the Minister to be necessary or desirable for effective performance by the Consultative Committee of its functions.

(12) The Consultative Committee shall arrange its business as it sees fit.

(13) Members of the Consultative Committee shall be paid by the Authority such allowances for expenses as the Minister, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may from time to time determine.

(14) The Authority shall provide all reasonable facilities and services as may be required by the Consultative Committee for the performance of its functions.