Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that we have had a particularly difficult winter for many fishermen around the coast, with the exception of some of those with the very large pelagic boats. However, in the whitefish sector and the case of the inshore fleet it was virtually impossible to fish, particularly in the months of January and February. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, has previously advised the House that the costs associated with severe weather events in recent months are well below the threshold for the EU Solidarity Fund and that, therefore, no application is possible. We have checked this out and it is the case. Notwithstanding the non-availability of EU funds, the Government has made significant Exchequer funds available to assist the seafood sector in dealing with the impact of the severe weather. On 12 February I informed the House that, as part of its overall co-ordinated response, the Government had decided to make available an additional €8.8 million for the repair of the publicly owned pier, harbour and slipway network for fisheries and aquaculture. In addition, it decided to allocate up to €1.5 million to assist inshore fishermen in replacing lobster and shrimp pots which had been lost or destroyed in the storms.

On 20 March I announced further details of the special funding allocated to local authorities to repair piers and harbours. The funding of €8.5 million will assist to repair 115 storm damaged harbours and piers owned by 11 local authorities and my Department. I also announced details of my Department’s capital programme for 2014, which will see a further €14.6 million provided for harbour development, of which some €11.6 million will go to safety, maintenance and new development works in the six fishery harbours at Howth, Dunmore East, Castletownbere, Dingle, Ros a Mhíl and Killybegs, in addition to fixing the bull nose pier in the north harbour on Cape Clear.

The Deputy will get the rest of that response in detail when he gets it. To help fishermen who have not been able to catch their quota in January and February we have agreed with the industry to significantly increase whitefish quotas for March and April to help fishermen catch up in terms of cashflow problems they would have encountered. We felt that was the most effective way for us to increase their income and ease their cashflow. That has led to problems with pricing in the market in terms of oversupply in recent days, which is also a problem now.

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