Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Gabhaim buíochas leat as ucht seans a thabhairt dom an cheist seo, atá an-thábhachtach do mo dháilcheantar, a cur os comhair na Dála agus leis an Aire Stáit as ucht a bheith anseo chun freagra a thabhairt ar an gceist.

There is a great need for the immediate opening of the operational programme for fisheries to allow for funding to the aquaculture sector and to restore a level playing field for Irish companies to compete fairly in Europe and on the world stage. The representative organisation of this sector, IFA Aquaculture, has called on the Minister to honour the commitments made by the Government in signing up to the Cawley report on the seafood sector in 2007 and to ensure that in the 2010 budget there is a sufficient level of funding, at least €10 million, earmarked under the co-funding programme for fisheries to be drawn down in 2010. As a Deputy from a constituency which has both a coastal and rural area, I support this call. It is incumbent on the Minister to ensure that this vital capital grant aid is open for access immediately.

The Irish aquaculture industry is worth €120 million per annum and provides more than 2,000 vital jobs in coastal and rural areas. It is of particular importance in my own constituency, where jobs in primary production of shellfish are important earners which provide full-time and part-time jobs. The aquaculture industry also provides vital business for companies supplying a range of goods and services, ranging from fuel to IT, engineering, chandlery and so on. One company in the Dungarvan area of County Waterford provides 17 full-time and 12 part-time jobs. The oyster industry as a whole provides approximately 50 full-time and 30 part-time jobs in the Dungarvan area. Almost the entire product is exported to EU countries and this industry provides vital cash to local economies.

The main competitors to the Irish industry come from the EU, Scandinavia, Africa and South America. For the Irish industry to stay competitive it must continually improve and adapt technology and reduce costs. This fact has already been recognised by the introduction of the European Fisheries Fund Regulations in 2007. The regulations allow member states to fund capital programmes up to 40% to improve aquaculture industry efficiency, lower any environmental impact and improve the quality of the final product.

I understand that, due to internal disputes between Departments, the funding under the EFF regulations has yet to be made available. This must be taken against the fact that the governments in every one of our main competitor countries in Europe have opened access to funds from the EU and national exchequers to assist their industries under the terms of the EFF. The programme runs from 2007 to 2013 and we are now almost at the half-way point.

As a matter of the greatest urgency, I am seeking that the Irish small and medium industries involved in the primary production of shellfish are given immediate notification that the Irish national operational programme for fisheries is open for application.

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