Mr. Jerry Gallagher:

Perhaps the joint sub-committee is aware of it but under axis 4, FLAGs, fisheries local actions groups, have been set up around the country. It is a new fund and should have been set up a number of years ago but we, in Ireland, are lagging behind again. BIM is administering the fund and this is exactly what it is for. Six have been set up around the coast. Some take in two counties but Donegal has one. The islands are involved as well. The fund is administered to local communities devastated by what is happening in the fisheries sector. If it has the power to do so, will the joint sub-committee lobby for funding? There is approximately €1.5 million in total for the coastal communities between 2013 and 2014, which is insignificant, but from 2015 to 2021, there is potential to attract some real money into this programme.

The EU documentation explains what it is about as well as who it supports, namely, communities within ten miles of the coast, excluding populations of 10,500. We have spoken about inshore fisheries, aquaculture, coastal communities and the islands. This fund could really make a difference if proper funding was available. It is up to Ireland to look for that money.

There is a central implementation board and we had a meeting in Dún Laoghaire last week with Michael Keatinge as chair. As I said, BIM is administering it. There is a bottom-up approach. There are 16 people on the board in Donegal and it is community based.