Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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1163. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the funding streams available to support traditional seaweed harvesters in maintaining their boat and safety equipment; his plans to make funding available into the future for harvesters finding it increasingly difficult to ensure a sustainable, full-time livelihood out of managing and harvesting seaweed; the avenues available to individual traditional seaweed harvesters to voice concerns about the seaweed harvesting industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8382/20]

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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As I recently outlined in my response to Question No 1265 of 13 May 2020, my responsibilities regarding seaweed are limited to the provisions of the Foreshore Act 1933 which, in terms of seaweed, involve my Department processing applications for the hand harvesting of seaweed which then come before me for determination. These responsibilities do not include either the promotion or economic development of the sector.

My Department has no funds available to support traditional seaweed harvesters in maintaining their boat and safety equipment.  Indeed, to have responsibility for the provision of such financial supports to a particular sector would be incompatible with my role in determining applications that come before me under the Foreshore Acts. However, such financial assistance may be available from other relevant bodies, such as Udaras Na Gaeltachta or Bord Iascaigh Mhara. 

My Department has secured funding under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund for two seaweed research projects, which are being supervised by the Marine Institute. One project is focused on seaweed biomass assessments and the other on the socio-economic importance of seaweed. Both projects are in addition to ongoing work in the context of the National Marine Planning Framework.      

In terms of my responsibilities under the 1933 Foreshore Act, I have made myself available regularly to listen to the concerns of all players within the seaweed sector, including with representatives of traditional harvesters. I ensured that a representative of traditional seaweed harvesters was included on the Advisory Group on Marine Spatial Planning that has been established to facilitate participation in the National Marine Planning Framework process and is representative of all relevant stakeholders from the economic, environmental and social pillars.