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State won't budge on payout claim for trawler death - Skifjord


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#1 Guest_Steve Ellwood_*

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 10:46 AM

Courtesy of the Independent.ie  @ http://www.independe...th-1990145.html

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State won't budge on payout claim for trawler death

By Vincent Ryan
Sunday December 27 2009

THE Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is refusing to pay the €250,000 compensation to the Byrne family recommended by Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly in the Lost at Sea report as it believes to do so would result in "major financial liability".

The Lost at Sea scheme was introduced in 2001 to compensate fishermen who had lost their trawlers and could not afford to return to fishing.

When the Lost at Sea scheme was introduced, the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources wrote to some fishermen who had lost boats at sea, inviting them to apply to the scheme.

The Lost at Sea scheme was also advertised in specialist fishing publications.

Despite the sinking of the Skifjord in 1981 with the loss of Francis Byrne, his son and three other crewmen, the Byrne family was not informed of the scheme.

After a complaint from the Byrne family, the ombudsman launched an investigation into the scheme. The ombudsman recommended that the Byrne family should be compensated. The department refused.

This is only the second time in the 25-year history of the ombudsman that the ombudsman's recommendations have been rejected.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food said that the minister believed that the Lost at Sea scheme had been administered fairly and that there was no basis for any compensation to be paid.

"The minister and the department have consistently taken the view that this scheme was properly and fairly administered by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, which had responsibility for the scheme at the time, and accordingly that there is no basis for compensation in the amount proposed or any amount," the spokesman said.

However in a letter from the department to the ombudsman's office on July 30, 2009, the department stated that it did not disagree with the ombudsman's findings that the design of the Lost at Sea scheme was "contrary to fair and sound administration", but that the State could not afford to pay out large sums in compensation for administrative failings.

The letter stated: "It is important, in light of the current national and financial position, to point out that the findings of the ombudsman in the Byrne case could have far-reaching implications for the department and the Exchequer.

"I do not wish to diminish the standing of the findings of the ombudsman where she states that elements of the scheme design 'were contrary to fair and sound administration'.

"But the possible cascade from what might be described as minor administration failings may give rise to a major financial liability, particularly were other cases to be brought to the ombudsman by other unsuccessful applicants under the Lost at Sea scheme."

- Vincent Ryan


#2 Barry McCrindle

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Posted 27 December 2009 - 01:23 PM

Absolute disgrace, and they'll still pay the bailed out bankers bonuses but won't pay a small sum for people that have lost their lives putting food on the table of the country
I always see both sides of the argument, the one that's wrong and mine.....

#3 rodi

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Posted 29 December 2009 - 08:48 PM

Typical of the lowlife that they are. Same bureaucrats, thanks to their lethally powerful union, will be on big salaries, big bonuses coupled with index linked pensions. No wonder Britain is fucked.
Hmppphh

#4 Guest_Steve Ellwood_*

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Posted 29 December 2009 - 09:15 PM

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Typical of the lowlife that they are. Same bureaucrats, thanks to their lethally powerful union, will be on big salaries, big bonuses coupled with index linked pensions. No wonder Britain is fucked.

Hi Rodi

Quite true but the story is based around the happenings in Eire  O0

#5 rodi

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Posted 29 December 2009 - 09:34 PM

WellIt changes nothing except, perhaps, that the civil service in Eire  has taken a 20% salary hit. About time. I recall when there were more fishery officers skulking in hedges in Donegal spying on the pelagic boats than there were farmers in the fields that the hedges surrounded. Its all part of the European Empire/
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#6 restlesswave

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 02:20 PM

rodi-there are more fishery officers in ireland now than there is whitefish boats. i think there are over 150 in the country. there are approx 15 in killybegs to look after a pelagic fleet who only have a paltry quota and land the biggest part of it in shetland,norway and faroes. there are also 3 whitefish boats of note in the fleet (one tied up) now these boats start in october and will be tied to the wall end of feb (apart from a few that go to the redfish and land elsewhere.
  on one of the landings of a local rosses pelagic boat before xmas there was 3 fishery officers down too count the amount of tankers filled and to make sure she didn`t return to sea with fish?-as one of the crew said to them- "for f*** sake it`s hard enough getting them landed and not be taking them out again" there is also a considerable `foreign`activity in the port who land into the back of lorrys and are ignored in general by the authoritys (now it`s not as if the authorities are short of manpower or anything)
   now 15 officers in one port looking after a part time fleet-and 12 odd fishery officers in northern ireland looking after a substantial busy fleet of prawn boats-does this add up?- more officers for the republic are allegedly on the cards as well-it`s ridiculous soon there will be one fishery officer per boat over 15metre.
   also on the skifjord carry on-a government minister was `at`it-giving freebies to his constituents and got caught. the implications are if the byrne family set a precedent-every trawler owner that lost a boat and lost their tonnage/kilowatts will be due to be compensated- it would cost a fortune-good enough for the government-pack of b*****d`s.
bend it,and if you can`t bend it,break it.

#7 rodi

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 02:45 PM

Dear Rear Admiral,

Thank you for your kind support. Sir, .sailing out there right acros the enemy's bows firing from every port!! Excellent reply and my sentiments to a T. And to an S, an H and I too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In the name of holy God i detest these people and what they represent..and those whom they serve. I know the Donegal fleet well and what you people have to put up with. Good, loyal lovely friends. They say you can judge a man by the company he keeps and that lot did me well for it. Knew John Teigue himself too. And fed him that stone soup even though he were not poor. And all buggered by the Bureaucrat "Fonctionnaire elite"as the french would call them.

I was watching that Tony Wotsit on BBC who does those TV progs about archaeology and he was doing a prog about Man, history and Climate change..and who died out and when due to it..like Vikings in Greenland. He did the Maya and the expert was saying how the their Fat Cat elite Priesthood survived in splendour  because they d fixed it with the Gods for centuries that there would always be enough rain. Then they found the temple where, at a given time, all the priests had had their throats cut. "Why was that" asked Tony. "Simple" said the expert. "The drought came and the people wouldnt take the crap any more and cut their throats".

Brings to mind a few modern priesthoods doesnt it?? Ones that get fatter and more numerous by the day as the rest slowly sink.

As for the foreigners, i know a few of them and they think your regime is "ondo ondo ondo". Your priests dont speak the lingo and dont meet owners for "discussions". Lovely. Nice work if one can get it. But, back where they come from, no one would dare tackle them. No way Jose! In our world, the police state is so absoloute no one can do a thing.

A plague on all their bureaucrat  houses!!! 

Happy New Year anyway....
Hmppphh

#8 restlesswave

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 02:51 PM

denis john teague boyle never had the right recipe for dhoirlin soup (stone)- they always boiled them to long and made them tough lol! O0
bend it,and if you can`t bend it,break it.

#9 rodi

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 03:16 PM

Indeed..Thats it, Dhoirlin soup.... We had it in Castle Murray once him and Monsieur Gallagher and myself and i got that French lassie to cook a portion up for each of us.... Followed that with a factual account of Womball..the original Irish Cricket which the English banned,. At that point things got out of hand.

Is Dennis still alive??? and Rose?O0 John still biding outside Killybegs??
Hmppphh

#10 restlesswave

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:42 PM

yes, all alive and well !
bend it,and if you can`t bend it,break it.

#11 rodi

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 07:50 PM

Well, Thats good. Its also amazing considering Denni's mad escapades with diggers. We lost touch because I moved and i was deeply depressed at not being able to raise him at the bungalow address and phone. We were great friends and stil lwould be if we were in touch.

If you could email me a phoine number, I would be v appreciative.

For that matter, how goes Hooly and The Dane? Are they OK?? 
Hmppphh

#12 restlesswave

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 09:55 PM

yep howley and the dane both fine. martin howley not fishing anymore but it`s not long since john the dane was stateside fishing one of their big pelagic boats on georges bank-think he is home now-but don`t know is he back on the western endeavour or not-his son jens was skipper in his absence-check your pm`s-frankie.
bend it,and if you can`t bend it,break it.

#13 rodi

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 10:02 PM

check my pms> Frankie...Wotsthat??

Thanks for news on martin and John.
Hmppphh

#14 Barry McCrindle

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Posted 30 December 2009 - 11:16 PM

your personal messages (PMs) Rodi, top right of the screen click on the tab that says messages
I always see both sides of the argument, the one that's wrong and mine.....

#15 Gary Sutherland

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Posted 31 December 2009 - 01:59 AM

It's pretty much typical of the political animal, though, isn't it?

They're quick enough to get up there and get the limelight when they're announcing some new scheme or the other, but when it comes to putting out they're 'Oooh no, we can't afford that' whilst hoovering up the expenses to re-paint the duck house or clean-out the moat.

Hopefully enough people will remember this when we eventually get the opportunity next year to vote-out the present bunch of swine.
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#16 Baskets16

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Posted 31 December 2009 - 02:33 AM

Only To vote in more !

#17 rodi

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Posted 31 December 2009 - 11:22 AM

THanks barry..I got the message...
Hmppphh



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