The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment has informed Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that summonses for offences under the Fisheries Acts currently before the courts should not proceed.

This is following legal advice it has received that the IFI does not have explicit power to prosecute offences under the Fisheries Acts.

In the meantime, all those accused of such offences are, in the normal way, entitled to the presumption of innocence.

IFI is further advised that cases that have already been finally disposed of by the courts are not affected.

All current provisions and offences of the Inland Fisheries Acts continue in full force and effect.

The Department has advised that it is intended that amending provisions will be in place within a matter of weeks.

This apparently will be well within the statutory period of the six-month time-frame for the initiation of proceedings following the date of alleged offences.

An IFI spokesperson said that, consequently, anyone who commits an alleged offence will still be liable to prosecution.

“In general, farming-related cases would usually come under the Water Pollution Acts and, as a result, they may not be affected by this issue,” according to an IFI spokesperson.

GLAS payments

The progress on the delayed GLAS and AEOS payments has been extremely slow. The Department has made payments of over €1m in the last week to 291 farmers participating in GLAS I and II.

However there are still 5,793 farmers waiting for their first 85% instalment of GLAS payments. The 31,057 farmers already paid their first instalment in the scheme are calling for the final 15% to be paid now.

Approximately €1m in AEOS payments have been made to 291 participants, leaving 2,200 farmers who are awaiting payment.