Registration of fishing vessels requires ownership by citizens of EU/EEA states or companies incorporated in EU/EEA states. The 'sea-fishing boat license' may be refused if the owner of the vessel is a body corporate and the licensing authority is not satisfied that the body corporate is under the control of, beneficially owned by or under the control of and beneficially owned by EU/EEA nationals or a body corporate in which all of the shares are beneficially owned, or the body is otherwise controlled, by EU/EEA nationals.
"Chapter 2 - Licensing of sea-fishing boats and miscellaneous amendments to Act of 2003
Sea-fishing boat licences.
97.— (1) The following section is substituted for section 4 of the Act of 2003:
"4.— (1) This section applies to any Irish sea-fishing boat.
(2) A sea-fishing boat to which this section applies shall not be used for sea-fishing (whether within the exclusive fishery limits of the State or otherwise) nor shall a person on board such a boat fish for sea-fish or attempt so to fish, save under and in accordance with a licence ('sea-fishing boat licence') granted or renewed for the purposes of this section and in relation to the boat by the licensing authority.
(3) [...]
(c) Where an application is made for a sea-fishing boat licence, the licensing authority may, subject to subsection (5), allow or refuse the application.
(d) In deciding on the grant or refusal of a sea-fishing boat licence or the attachment of terms and conditions to licences the licensing authority may take account of economic and social benefits which the operation of a boat would be likely to contribute to the coastal communities and regions which the quotas within the meaning of Council Regulation No. 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 3 are designed to benefit, including—
(i) the projected annual number of landings at ports in the State,
(ii) the projected annual tonnage and value of fish landed in the State,
(iii) the projected annual level of expenditure in the State on wages, fuel, supplies, equipment and services, and
(iv) the projected annual level of social security and tax payments in the State in respect of employees and the operation of the boat, and the protection, conservation and sustainable exploitation of living marine aquatic species and requirements of the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Communities.
[...]
(5) The licensing authority shall not grant a sea-fishing boat licence unless the sea-fishing boat in relation to which the licence is granted is wholly owned by a national of a Member State or a state belonging to the European Economic Area or a body corporate established under and subject to the law of a Member State and having its principal place of business in a Member State or a state belonging to the European Economic Area.
[...]
(11) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3)(c) where the licensing authority receives an application for a sea-fishing boat licence and—
(a) the application relates to a sea-fishing boat which is owned by a body corporate and the licensing authority is not satisfied that the body corporate is under the control of, beneficially owned by or under the control of and beneficially owned by a person or persons who, or, as may be appropriate, each of whom, is either a qualified individual or a qualified body, or
(b) the licensing authority is satisfied that the applicant has previously used or attempted to use a sea-fishing boat for sea-fishing in contravention of, or that the applicant has fished for sea-fish or has attempted so to fish contrary to, subsection (2),
he or she may refuse the application.
[...]
(14) In this section—
[...]
' qualified body ' means a body corporate in which all of the shares are beneficially owned, or the body is otherwise controlled, by one or more individuals who, or, as may be appropriate, each of whom is, a qualified individual;
' qualified individual ' means an individual person who is a national of a Member State or a state belonging to the European Economic Area;[...]" (Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006), last amended by Act No. 32 of 2021 and S.I. No. 415 of 2021, Section 97)
Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006), last amended by Act No. 32 of 2021 and S.I. No. 415 of 2021, Section 97
[<a href="http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2006/act/8/enacted/en/print">Act</a>]