Atlantic Dawn & the FF'rs

[Ecoguy]

The "authorities" went after the small guys and totally ignored the biggies because they were mostly all pals with the politicians.

I heard as much from a Fisherman on the Arann Islands a few years ago. He blamed it on the the fact that the FF government had given most of the Irish quota to the Atlantic Dawn. Also mentioned Frank Fahy as the main mover behind it

[MsAnneThrope]

Lost at Sea Compensation

Fine Gael Marine Spokesperson, John Perry TD, has today questioned how and why two constituents of former Minister for the Marine Frank Fahey received 74% (worth €2M) tonnage compensation under the Lost at SeaScheme. The scheme, which has been condemned by the Ombudsman as ‘seriously deficient and flawed’, was launched in 2000 and was designed to provide tonnage compensation to those vessels, which were lost at sea. The scheme resulted in just 6 successful applications out of a total of 67, and 74% of tonnage - worth approximately €2 million - was awarded to two constituents of then Marine Minister and Galway West TD Frank Fahey. - Thursday 19 October, 2006

[diddleydoo]

I heard as much from a Fisherman on the Arann Islands a few years ago. He blamed it on the the fact that the FF government had given most of the Irish quota to the Atlantic Dawn. Also mentioned Frank Fahy as the main mover behind it

Exactly.

Instead of admitting their mistake (and scrapping the Atlantic dawn which singlehandedly could have saved dozens of other trawlers) they went after the people who weren't able to buy their way out of the ********************ty situation they were forced into.

Shane.

[cactusflower]

Is the Atlantic Dawn still taking the fish from Africa?

[MsAnneThrope]

From the 2008 Register of Interests. This guy makes Haughey look like a pauper.

FAHEY, Frank (Galway West)

1. Occupational Income …….. Rental income from properties. Income from capital gains on sale of property, shareholdings.

2. Shares …………………….. Trading in shares Grafton, Kingspan, A.I.B., Eircom, Worldspread, Ryanair.

3. Directorships……………… Nil

4. Land ……………………… (l) 2 apts Castlerea, Co. Roscommon: letting; (2) Apartments 8A, 16 Eglington Court, Galway: letting; (3) House at Kilbeacanty, Gort, letting; (4) Apartment at Dun Aengus, New Docks, Galway: letting; (5) House at Dun na Coirbe, Galway: letting; (6) House at Rinawade Close, Leixlip: letting; (7) Shareholding in apartment at Gort na Coirbe, Galway; (8) Shareholding in extended family owned properties at Moydrum, Athlone: letting; (9) Shareholding in 4 Apts and Shop, Lower Gerald Street, Limerick: letting; (10) Shareholding in retail unit, two offices and warehouse at Crowe Street, Gort; (11) House at Jumeirah Estates, Dubai; (12) Dwelling house, The Grove, Crowe St, Gort, Co. Galway; (13) Shareholding in apartment at Tappen St, Boston, Massachusetts: shareholding in Fahey Higgins L.L.C Boston; (14) Five apartments owned in partnership at Rue Paul-Emile, Janson 1000, ten apartments owned in partnership at Rue du Sceptre 1015, Brussels; (15) Apartment at Cathedral Place, Limerick: letting; (16) House at Villefranche, France; (17) Deposit paid and contract signed on property at Porto De Mos, deposit paid on property at Alcantarillha, Portugal; (18) Apartment at Irishtown, Dublin.

Not bad for a former Secondary School Teacher is it?

Investments

The Irish Times, reported in 2006, that in 1994, when Frank Fahey was a Senator, on a modest salary of £19,486 (€24,747), he became involved in establishing a hair and beauty salon business in Moscow involving an investment of over £200,000 (€254,000)

He caused controversy in Galway after speaking at a seminar organised by 'Remax Auctioneers' held at the radison Hotel in January 2009. He spoke at the conference urging first time buyers to "buy now as houses prices were as low as they would go". House prices in Galway have seen a 20%-30% drop in the previous 18 months with little sign of the market stabilising. A number of people have questioned his judgement in the matter, as the seminar was organised by Remax Auctioneers and speakers were drawn from what could be seen as the "vested interests" in the property market in Galway. As of 2009, there were many people with negative equity on there properties, who had bought within the previous five years. A number of people have questioned the wisdom of the Fianna fail TD speaking at the seminar encouraging young people to buy now, despite many economists predicting further price drops in the housing market up to 2011 and 2012 and further exposing people to the danger of negative equity on their properties. Also speaking at the seminar was Bank of Ireland manager Pat Fleming, solicitors from Bell and Carroll and morgage providers 'Simply mortgages'

Committee on Procedures and Privileges, July 2006

Fahey wrote to this Committee citing the remarks of Trevor Sargent Teachta Dála in the Dáil when Sargent referred to Fahey as a dodgy builder and accused him of being able to avoid tax in building up a multi-million euro property empire and failing to declare interests in a Moscow hairdressing business. Sargent also maintained that Fahey had given 75% of the total State compensation for fisheries vessels lost at sea to two constituents (of Fahey's) and giving half of Ireland's mackerel quota to one boat, the Atlantic Dawn.

Fahey failed to secure the necessary 75% committee vote to censure Sargent and his failure embarrassed and annoyed his Fianna Fáil colleagues.

Trevor Sargent asked for Fahey to be sacked

“What message does it send when a Minister of State like Deputy Fahey is able to avoid tax in building up a multi-million euro property empire?”

Mr Sargent stated that in 2005, Mr Fahey’s ‘empire’ included twenty properties in Ireland and seven abroad.

“He owns half a share in a property company and has stocks and work in progress worth €1.4 million.”

Later, he said: “He has a hazy recollection of receiving donations from Monarch Properties.

“He failed to declare interests in a Moscow hairdressing business…”

Two fishermen from Mr Fahey’s constituency were among the total of six who received compensation under the scheme — some 67 applications were received.

He also criticised Mr Fahey for giving “half of Ireland’s mackerel quota to just one boat, the Atlantic Dawn”.

He called on the Taoiseach to sack Mr Fahey.

[MsAnneThrope]

Fishing tycoon swims free

So just why did the state's highest ranking public representatives, including Bertie Ahern, go to enormous efforts to save a business that employed 100 Irish people and enriched one man's fortune? Would such attention be given to other struggling businesses?

Frank Doyle, secretary general of the Irish Fishermen's Organisation, thinks not. "Certainly not in the fishing business," he said. "I have been in the business for 30 years and I have never known any single vessel or interest to be given such attention by the state."
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Frank Fahey, then marine minister, and the Taoiseach intervened. They wrote to Commissioner Franz Fischler and EU Commission President Romano Prodi, who were on holiday at the time.

Fahey asked Fischler whether the Commission would take action against Ireland if he decided to grant a temporary licence to the Atlantic Dawn. Fahey said that, if a licence was not granted, the banks would not invest and McHugh's equity would be lost with "very serious consequences".

Ahern told Prodi that the matter was one of "very serious national, and regional, importance" and asked him to "lend your personal support to enable Franz Fischler to accede" to Fahey's request.
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The government finally awarded a short-term licence to the Atlantic Dawn, against the wishes of the European Commission. On September 2, 2000 when the vessel arrived at Killybegs, Fahey was on hand to make a speech.

Fahey continued to issue temporary licences in late 2000 to keep the trawler on the register.

The licensing saga generated some lingering bad feeling in the Irish fishing industry. One source said there was so much political capital invested in Atlantic Dawn that there was little left for the rest of the industry.

[MsAnneThrope]

IFO's concerns about Atlantic Dawn

The Irish Fishermen’s Organisation (IFO) has called upon the government to "clearly and unambiguously" spell out Irish policy with regard to the registration of sea fishing vessels. The IFO said it was seeking this clarification on foot of "enquiries and expressions of concern" it had received about the legality of the Atlantic Dawn.

The statement said it was "puzzled by the registration status of the vessel, given the existing policy with regard to the registration of sea fishing boats, as set down by the marine department, which states: ‘It is a basic requirement of fishing boat licensing policy, reflecting mandatory EU fleet capacity policy, that a licence may only be granted for the introduction of a boat into the fishing fleet where the applicant will remove capacity (tonnage and engine power) from the Fishing Vessel Register which is at least equal to the capacity of the boat to be introduced.’ The statement added that as the required capacity had not been removed in the case of Atlantic Dawn, "it is difficult to see how the vessel can be legally accommodated as a sea fishing vessel under the Irish flag". The IFO has questioned the value to Ireland of vessels of this type, which is states "rarely, if ever land into Irish ports and offer no value to the State."

[Just Us]

I find it amazing(and terrifying) that theres a FF councillor in Galway called "Stroke" Fahy. He must be some piece of work given the record of his namesake Frank. I think the problem with the electorate in Galway may be all that sh$te in the drinking water is damaging the part of the brain where intellegiance usually resides

Fúkn retarded, they must b? Will they evr tipple?

[stanley]

When you read these reports it sounds like Fahey and Bertie gathered the Irish fishing quotas and handed over to one man with a giant trawler and a 100 man crew, nationalities unknown.

Thereon this guy happily caught and sold fish wherever for his own benefit and liitle benefit to the nation on whose quota he was trading.

Fahey must have had some neck to get away with this one not to mind cornering the compensation for his mates but then again he always knew Bertie liked a bung.

But the story itself is quite fantastic and as another poster said "what happened the enquiry" just another day in FF'rland.

[diddleydoo]

When you read these reports it sounds like Fahey and Bertie gathered the Irish fishing quotas and handed over to one man with a giant trawler and a 100 man crew, nationalities unknown.

Thereon this guy happily caught and sold fish wherever for his own benefit and liitle benefit to the nation on whose quota he was trading.

Fahey must have had some neck to get away with this one not to mind cornering the compensation for his mates but then again he always knew Bertie liked a bung.

But the story itself is quite fantastic and as another poster said "what happened the enquiry" just another day in FF'rland.

They didn't gather anything. They gave tonnage which wasn't there and then launched a 10 year plan to steal the tonnage back off hard working fishermen.

It's bloody criminal what went on. I have first-hand experience of the crap that was going on.

Shane.