The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has launched a public consultation on developing a policy for passenger vessel licensing at Howth Fishery Harbour Centre.
The number of licences issued by the department has remained unchanged for many years. Some existing licence holders have expressed an interest in acquiring additional licences, while other vessel owners have shown an interest in operating from the harbour.
There is a facility for vessel owners to apply to operate a passenger service from a Fishery Harbour Centre (FHC) but there is no policy to guide how to manage the current licences, or how to award additional licences, the department explains.
A review has been undertaken by harbour management on the capacity of the passenger pontoon at Howth FHC and the nature of potential additional activity it could accommodate. The review indicates that there is scope for a small increase in the number of passenger vessel licences that are currently in place.
The next step in the process towards developing a policy is to hold a public consultation with interested parties and members of the public. Views are sought from stakeholders on the following areas:
- Renewal of existing licences
- Issue additional licences
- Timeslots & Scheduling
- Changes to Vessel Sizes
- Change of Ownership
- Operation of Single-Entry Vessels
The public consultation is open now Friday 16 September. All relevant and necessary documents can be found on Gov.ie.
