Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 51: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the Government is supporting proposals by the European Commission to ease the fisheries aid rules and introduce a new limit on fisheries aid to be set at €30,000 per person over a three year period; the timeframe for introducing this new limit; the amount of times his Department has sanctioned the payment of fisheries aid in the years 2000 to 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26635/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Bord Iascaigh Mhara is the responsible authority for the administration of de minimis aid for the fisheries sector in Ireland. Currently the Commission Regulation on de minimis aid to the agriculture and fisheries sectors, Commission Regulation (EC) No 1860/2004, allows Member States to make grant aid payments up to a maximum of €3,000 per individual in any period of 3 years without requiring approval under EU State Aid rules.

The European Commission has now proposed a new Regulation for the fisheries sector. The new regulation proposes raising the ceiling to €30,000 per beneficiary, per three year period. In accordance with the procedure applying to the setting of de minimis aid, the Commission will now consult the Advisory Committee on State Aid, and will subsequently publish the draft Regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union for consultation purposes. I will examine the new proposals, in consultation with Industry representatives to determine Ireland's position with regard to this draft Regulation. The draft Regulation will be discussed at EU level during the autumn.

Under de minimis rules BIM, as the implementing body for grant aid to the fisheries sector, has made 237 grant payments between 2000 and 2005 amounting to €199,499, for projects concerning vessel safety and tonnage re-measurement.