John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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92. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of active participants in the fish assist scheme in each county, in tabular form; to consider an increase in the rate of payment under the fish assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50828/25]

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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What is the number of participants in the fish assist scheme? How many are there per county? Could we get that information? In light of budget 2026, will the Minister look at the scheme to see if it could be made more attractive for more participants?

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides the fish assist support, which is available to self-employed fishers on a low income under the means-tested jobseeker's allowance scheme. It is based on the conditions and rate of payment under the farm assist scheme.

The fish assist scheme provides favourable treatment to self-employed fishers compared with other self-employed workers through additional income disregards and entitlement to secondary benefits. For example, under the jobseeker's allowance, self-employed income is assessed at 100%. This is reduced to 70% under the fish assist and farm assist schemes. Child disregards also apply that do not exist for jobseeker's allowance.

My Department also has responsibility for the rural social scheme, which provides income support for those engaged in farming and fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants work 19.5 hours per week providing services that benefit rural communities and receive a top-up on their social welfare payment.

Fish assist is a demand-led scheme. There are currently 43 people in receipt of fish assist. These are based in counties Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Kerry, Cork, Waterford and Wexford. I will provide the Deputy with a table showing the breakdown per county. He will be interested to know that, of that total of 43, there are nine recipients of fish assist in Galway. Consideration and decisions in relation to any social protection rates as part of budget 2026 will be taken in the context of the overall funding available. The negotiations continue.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. It is quite a low number of participants considering we are an island nation. Fishing has been a traditional means of earning a living and sustaining some vibrancy in coastal communities in this country for centuries. The number the Minister has given us as regards people availing of this scheme is an indicator of the number of people involved in the industry in general. That is a matter for another debate on another occasion.

One of the things we could look at in trying to ensure people continue in this trade and craft is the other small marine-based trades and industries that could avail of fish assist or for which a similar scheme could be introduced. I think particularly of seaweed harvesting. One of the things about the fish assist scheme that prevents people from also participating in seaweed harvesting is that any income above £1000, that is, €1,270, gained from seaweed harvesting eliminates the opportunity to avail of the fish assist scheme.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I was surprised at the low numbers on the scheme myself. I have asked my officials to interrogate those numbers and to make sure there is awareness of the fish assist scheme in the communities where fishers are based. We will work on such an awareness programme. I will revert to the Deputy with regard to the provisions on seaweed, which he has discussed with me previously. We have a range of supports in place. In addition to fish assist, there is the rural social scheme, which I have mentioned, and other provisions. I wish to acknowledge that. I will absolutely work with the Deputy on promoting the fish assist scheme and, indeed, the farm assist scheme to ensure those who may be entitled to the payment are fully aware that these schemes are open to them.

John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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I again ask the Minister to look at that low threshold for seaweed harvesters. The income threshold for seaweed harvesters who might wish to also participate in the fish assist scheme is very low. It has not changed since the mid-nineties. It is €1,270. Taking inflation over the years into account, we could look at increasing that figure. The equivalent figure today might be €6,000 or €7,000. That would not be a regressive step at all but quite a positive one. Failing that, perhaps we could look at some other type of scheme akin to the fish assist scheme for seaweed harvesters that would be purely for their own industry and trade.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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We will certainly engage with the Deputy on that. One of the difficulties in relation to seaweed harvesting is that it continues to be a very informal part of the economy meaning it is very difficult to get statistics and measurements we can stand over as regards those participating in it and earning from it, supply chains and so on. We have looked at it. I have followed up with my officials based on the Deputy's previous representations. We will continue to do so to see what is the best possible support for communities involved in fishing and marine activities.