Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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248. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he is taking to alleviate the shortage of available crew in the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3235/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The report of the Government’s inter-departmental Task Force on Non-EEA Workers in the Irish Fishing Industry, which I chaired, recommended the establishment of a sector-specific Atypical Worker Permission system which will provide a structured and transparent framework for the employment of non-EEA workers within defined segments of the Irish commercial sea-fishing fleet.

The Atypical Working Scheme is administered by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of the Department of Justice and Equality. It is planned that the new arrangements for non-EEA workers in the Irish fishing industry will be operational very shortly.

The Task Force recognises the importance of employment in the fishing industry to Ireland’s coastal communities. Therefore, in recommending that the number of Atypical Worker Permissions under the new Scheme, which applies to non officers, be capped at 500, the Task Force was cognisant that any mechanism designed to assist with the employment of non-EEA workers should not impact unduly on the employment of local populations in coastal communities. The Task Force based the cap on employment data from the Marine Survey Office and BIM and took account of the longstanding sea-fishing boat licence condition that at least 50% of the crew on Irish fishing vessels are EU nationals.

BIM is the State agency responsible for developing the Irish seafood industry. This includes providing training for workers in the fishing industry and delivering on Government targets for the creation of sustainable jobs including the Action Plan for Jobs coordinated by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. BIM delivers a range of courses, such as safety skills and navigation and the training required to qualify as a skipper or second hand of a commercial fishing vessel, thus allowing crew members the opportunity to progress in their careers in the fishing industry. BIM also offers support to entry level individuals who are interested in a seagoing career.

Investment in human capital is vital to the future competitiveness, economic performance, and safety of the seafood sector. The introduction of a certification system to cover crew training and qualification on board fishing vesselsis identified as one of the actions in Food Wise 2025, the strategy for the sustainable growth of the agri-food sector over the next decade.

Furthermore, the Seafood Development Programme also provides for funding to support training and employment as provided for in the ‘Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth’ strategy, which sets out a roadmap for the Government’s vision, high-level goals and integrated actions across policy, governance and business to enable Ireland’s marine potential to be realised.