Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a comprehensive disclosure on the commercial aquaculture development scheme that includes declarations on the sum allocated to the scheme by the Government including the amount within this sum that was designated for grants to producers and the amount within the sum that was designated for administration; if he will declare the amount of money allocated from the scheme to commercial producers; the amount of money designated for administration that was unspent; the amount of money designated for producers via grants that was unspent; his plans for the unspent money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46559/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Some €5 million of Exchequer funding was allocated in 2010 to the Commercial Aquaculture Development Scheme, an implementing measure under the Irish Seafood National Programme 2007-2013. BIM are responsible for implementation of the scheme. On 30 July 2010, BIM invited applications under the scheme, with an application deadline of 20 August. Eligible applications received amounted to €779,647. Grant offers issued to the companies concerned and BIM is presently assessing claims for drawdown of the grants approved.

BIM's administrative costs for this scheme and all other normal functions carried out by BIM are charged to a separate subhead and were not deducted from the €5 million allocated for development of the aquaculture sector in 2010. However, it was necessary to provide €294,652 from the €5 million allocation to BIM to temporarily fund the operating costs of the Aquaculture Initiative EEIG (CBAIT), pending an examination by BIM of the functions carried out by this project and possible future funding options. CBAIT was previously funded by the PEACE Programme and its successors, but that funding has expired.

My Department is currently reviewing all of its end-year projections. A decision on the possible use of unspent budgets will be made when this review is complete