Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the seafood operational programme will be launched in view of the effect the delay is having on the seafood processing industry and the aquaculture industry. [5526/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The National Seafood Development Operational Programme 2007-2013 which inter alia provides funding for aquaculture development, was advertised for public consultation in October 2008. Following this consultation process, issues were raised by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources on behalf of CFB (Central Fisheries Board) regarding the grant-aiding of projects where environmental issues arise relating to compliance with the EU Birds and Habitats Directives and sea lice control on salmon farms.

Following a European Court of Justice judgment in December 2007 that Ireland was not in compliance with certain obligations under the EU Birds and Habitats Directives, this Department with its agencies working with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government developed a plan to deliver compliance with the EU Birds and Habitat Directives for wild fisheries and aquaculture over a determined timeframe. This plan was submitted to DG Environment for consideration and has been subject to detailed discussions. While DG Environment had indicated that it was in principle supportive of the plan, it has recently advised that it remains concerned about certain aspects of the planned approach to delivering compliance for aquaculture licensing. I will continue to work with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government to address the outstanding concerns of DG Environment.

In that regard, I secured €1 million for to the collection of baseline data for assessment purposes in 2009 and a further €0.75 million for 2010 in addition to funding provided by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Following an EU tender, the Marine Institute appointed personnel to operate the data collection exercise. This process is ongoing and will support compliance of aquaculture and wild fisheries with the terms of the Birds and Habitat Directives.

In relation to sea lice issues, I have met Minister of State Lenihan on this issue, most recently last November. I advised on the significant progress made in relation to managing sea lice levels on salmon farms and the concerns of the Fishery Boards were also set down. I am hopeful that there is a better understanding of the issues involved from both Departments' perspectives and that on this basis we can find a satisfactory resolution to the concerns raised.

Grants payable under the National Seafood Development Operational Programme 2007-2013 will be fully funded by the Irish Exchequer. There are no EU time restrictions on the adoption of the OP. Once the Operational Programme has been adopted, the individual schemes under the OP will have to be notified to the EU under EU State Aid guidelines.