Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This programme focuses on progressing the economic development of the agri-food, forestry and marine sectors, including facilitating the achievement of Food Wise 2025. The advancement of the elements of this programme requires effective participation in policy negotiations and developments at national, EU and international levels, and the development, implementation and review of the appropriate national strategic policy documents and policy positions. State bodies are also provided with funding for their development, promotion, research, advice and training activities.

All of this is designed to ensure the Department has the capacity to engage in effective economic policy analysis and planning to underpin competitiveness, efficiency and development of the agri-food and fishing sector and the rural and coastal economy. Overall, €450.8 million has been allocated to the subheads under this programme in 2016 in pursuit of the priorities outlined in budget 2016. For the seafood development programme, some €36 million is being made available to my Department, the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara to fund the roll-out of schemes under the seafood development programme.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara is the main implementing body responsible for delivering supports to the fisheries, aquaculture and processing sectors and will be responsible this year for a seafood development programme budget of €23.7 million. To date, it has lunched eight schemes. In the area of aquaculture two schemes are open - the knowledge gateway scheme and the sustainable aquaculture scheme. In the area of seafood processing, three new schemes are open - the capital investment programme, the innovation and planning and scaling scheme and the new market development scheme. In the fisheries area three new schemes are open - the inshore fisheries conservation scheme, the fisheries local area development scheme and the sustainable fisheries scheme.

Last month I announced the award of €4.3 million to 51 beneficiaries under five of the schemes which will ultimately lead to an investment of €21 million in the seafood sector this year and further grants will follow throughout the year. Later this year, BIM will also launch a fleet decommissioning scheme and an engine replacement scheme which is an energy efficiency measure.

A key area of expenditure under the rural development programme is the beef data and genomics programme scheme which will have funding of €300 million over its lifespan, €52 million of which will be available in 2016. This innovative scheme will have a strong cohort of more than 25,000 participants and since payments began last December, more than 21,500 farmers have been paid a total of more than €39 million. These payments are continuing on an ongoing basis as compliance with the 2015 programme is verified.

In regard to the horse and greyhound fund, the State supports both industries as provided through the horse and greyhound racing fund. The 2016 budget for my Department provided for increased funding of €6 million, or almost 9%, to €74 million in the allocation for the fund - €4.8 million for Horse Racing Ireland and €1.2 million for Bord na gCon.