Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Keatinge for his presentation on the 2013 annual report. I have a number of questions and would also like to have an opportunity to follow up on the responses given.

The outturn for 2013 showed a deficit of €500,000. To what does this relate? Why was there a significantly reduced turnover in the operation of the ice plant and a significant rise in costs?

Ireland has an appalling record in using EU funding to support communities that have lost out because of declining quotas. Under the last European Fisheries Policy, I do not think we drew down any funding, whereas other countries such as Spain drew down billions of euro. We have drawn down money for decommissioning but nothing to support communities or fishermen who can no longer fish. That has been one of the disgraceful aspects of our fisheries policy.

In relation to the FLAG, fisheries local action group, programme, I know that the committee met officials from the Commission in Brussels. One of the points they made concerned how unimaginative Ireland had been in the development of the programme and how we had not capitalised on it. How does Mr. Keatinge see the programme developing in the next few years? He said 41 project applications had been funded under it in 2013. How many applications for funding were submitted in 2013? How much money was available to be dispersed in that year? Over the lifetime of the Common Fisheries Policy how much funding will be available for the programme?

Deputies Éamon Ó Cuív and Martin Ferris mentioned that 80% of those involved in the fishing industry were fishermen with boats under 10 m. In the annual report there seems to be no mention of them or how they are being supported. Perhaps the reason is that one of the main priorities of BIM is upscaling. How will this develop? Is it BIM's policy to encourage partnerships or rationalisation in the seafood sector? I come from Killybegs and have seen a great deal of rationalisation in the fish processing sector there which has led to major job losses through modernisation and mechanisation. This is called progress, but it is very hard to explain to my constituents when they see massive grant aid being announced for processors who are shedding jobs. I understand the argument on the need to be more competitive in order to survive, but will Mr. Keatinge outline how he sees the process of upscaling developing? How will it work in tandem with supporting small communities to remain viable within the fishing sector?

I am very interested in hearing how the delegates see us sourcing additional raw material, given the experience of quotas around the country. I note that BIM has signed a memorandum of understanding with Letterkenny Institute of Technology on an innovation centre in Killybegs. How do the delegates envisage it developing? Will BIM be proactive in talking to processors and encouraging them to become involved? In 2011 Mr. Keatinge was in Killybegs for the big announcement of the creation of 120 or 130 jobs through seafood value added development. Four years on how many of these jobs have materialised?