Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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655. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the EU fisheries funding allocated to Ireland for the EFF and the EMFF, respectively in each of the years 2017 to 2020; the amount of unspent funding in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18838/20]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme 2014-2020 is the vehicle for financial supports to the seafood sector and is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

The Programme delivers a wide range of supports for enterprises and individuals in the fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors, for coastal communities through the Fisheries Local Action Groups, and for control and enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy, EU Data Collection and measures under the Integrated Maritime policy.  Supports are delivered through a suite of schemes, covering measures such as innovation and research, capital investment, training, advisory services, marketing, stock conservation and management, and environmental sustainability.

The Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and provides €239.3 million in funding - an investment of €91.7 million provided by the Government of Ireland and €147.6 million provided by the European Union. Our expectation is that funding under the programme will be fully spent.

The predecessor to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund was the Seafood Development Operational Programme which was implemented over the period 2008 to 2015. No funding was allocated under this programme during the period 2017 to 2020.