Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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888. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 488 of 19 November 2019, the status of the review of harbour charges for fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23775/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department owns, manages and maintains the six State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl. The Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012 (214 of 2012), which came into effect on the 1st July 2012, sets out the fee schedule for the use of the facilities at each of the six Fishery Harbour Centres.

The internal review of the 2012 order, which is at an advanced stage, is ongoing, and prior to a final decision on the introduction of an updated Rates and Charges Order, it is intended to undertake a public consultation process.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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889. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a moratorium will be put on the collection of outstanding harbour fees; if a waiver on all harbour dues will be put in place for fishermen that are struggling due to the Covid-19 crisis similar to the commercial rates wavier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23778/20]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The crisis which has resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for Government from both public health and economic perspectives. The economic challenges are wide ranging and have impacted across all sectors.

The Government response will continue to be reviewed and will evolve in order to best meet current and future challenges as they arise.

While the fishing industry, unlike many other industries, has been permitted to operate throughout the pandemic, I am very conscious of the impact of the pandemic on global seafood markets and the consequential reduction in level of activity. Whilst fish prices have been negatively impacted throughout the Covid period these impacts have been varied depending on the species and market being targeted. For many species, markets have remained open and fishermen have been able to sell their products. In addition, the Covid crisis has occurred during a period when the fuel prices for fishermen have been greatly reduced and that has assisted the viability of fishing activity throughout the period.

To date, a broad range of supports have been made available to the fisheries sector through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme and more generally from Government. Fishing vessel owners whose trading income ceased due to the Covid-19 pandemic, or crew members who lost their job or were temporarily laid off, were eligible to avail of income supports under the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, while vessel owners with salaried crew members who instead maintain those crew members on the payroll were eligible for the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme. Further details on current horizontal measures that are available to the fishing sector are available from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and from the Revenue Commissioners respectively.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, for the months of June, July and August, safety net supports were available through the EMFF Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme to fishermen who choose to tie-up their vessel for up to two months. The Scheme supported the fixed costs of these vessels based on the official data on such costs obtained from the fleet through the Sentinel Vessel Programme and economic survey data provided by inshore fishermen through the grant aid process. Supports of €800 per month were available for vessels 10-12 metres, €750 for vessels 8-10 metres and €500 for vessels under 8 metres. These supports complemented the income supports separately provided by Government.

Supports of up to 80% of investment costs are available through the EMFF schemes administered by BIM for a wide variety of business activities and details of these schemes can be found on the BIM website.

Fishermen operate from a very wide variety of Harbours around the State and the majority of these are owned and managed by the relevant local authority. It is a matter for each local authority to consider the position in relation to charges in those local authority harbours. While there are no current plans to waive harbour dues in the six Fishery Harbour Centres, I will continue to review the matter taking account of the evolving situation and the range of horizontal Government supports available.