Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 16: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work that has been undertaken in order to retain and create jobs within coastal communities here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38947/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am committed to continuing the path set out in Food Harvest 2020 for the development of the seafood sector in Ireland. Food Harvest identifies the potential of the seafood industry to increase employment by 3,000 to 14,000 full time equivalent jobs by 2020, mostly in peripheral coastal communities. The strategy set out in Food Harvest involves the catching, processing and value adding and aquaculture sectors. Achievement of the targets set out in Food Harvest is supported by Bord Iascaigh Mhara's Strategy for the period 2010 to 2012 – 'Delivering on the potential of Irish Seafood'. That BIM Strategy sets out 69 individual actions to stimulate and grow the seafood sector, with a focus on creating jobs in coastal communities. The Strategy seeks to add value to output, assist in industry restructuring, improve route to market and grow aquaculture volumes.

In relation to the seafood processing sector, Food Harvest 2020 recognised that the sector was fragmented, lacking in scale, uncompetitive in terms of production costs, too focussed on export of commodity products and constrained by inconsistent supply of raw material. BIM, with Enterprise Ireland and Udaras, is working to address each of these issues. Grant aid support under the Seafood Processing Business Investment Scheme was provided in 2011 to improve competitiveness and help the companies concerned develop export markets for high value added products. Some 18 seafood processing projects with a total investment of €7 million were made through the Scheme. These investments are expected to generate new sales of €32 million and 158 jobs in the seafood processing sector by 2014.

BIM launched a new Seafood Value Adding Scheme in 2011 to support seafood companies with developing added-value products. The scheme assists with concept development, including business planning, product development and packaging. Fifteen projects have been approved, covering testing, developing a range of new products, new packaging formats and development of high value by-products from primary processing.

BIM's Seafood Development Centre (SDC) in Clonakilty has been open for two years now and in that time has brought market-led seafood innovation and new product development to the forefront in the Irish seafood industry. The SDC is working with over 330 large, small, and innovative start up companies to develop Ireland into an international seafood leader. New product sales developed by the Centre are estimated at roughly €10 million per annum to date and growing. The Centre is also leading graduate placement and sustainable innovation through training programmes.

With regard to employment in aquaculture, my Department and its agencies have been working together on a twin track approach to overcoming existing constraints, firstly through the comprehensive bay by bay environmental impact assessments required by EU Birds and Habitat Directives for Natura 2000 sites and secondly through development of the feasibility of locating aquaculture in less sensitive but more challenging conditions offshore. I have tasked BIM, working with the Marine Institute, to investigate suitable sites for the development of finfish aquaculture in deeper waters outside Natura 2000 sites. It is expected that BIM will submit a licence application for a suitable site early in 2012 and if granted, will source a major commercial investor to develop the site. This initiative will serve to develop finfish farming to a sustainable commercial level, while maintaining the highest protection for the environment. It is estimated that just one of these production areas could generate 350 direct jobs, while a further 150 jobs will be created indirectly in the service sector. BIM is also exploring other areas off the west coast for suitable sites.

In June of this year, following on from the Economic Report for the European Commission, which assessed the status, development and potential diversification of Killybegs as a fisheries dependent community I initiated the formation of a High Level Group whose brief was to focus on the advancement of job creation opportunities in the Killybegs region. The group which comprised both public and private stakeholders worked to a target that was both ambitious and timely. This High Level Group reported back to me on 23 November and I made their report available on the following day. The report sets out how a target of 250 jobs in a number of diverse areas can be achieved for the Killybegs region. Achieving the jobs target will require the co-operation and involvement of many stakeholders. I look forward to seeing the actions identified in the report being completed and the benefits that they will bring to the Killybegs region.