Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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711. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of funding available in the European Commission contingency supports and market disturbance funding for the fisheries sector to mitigate against the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit; the amount of funding he plans to apply for to deliver for the Irish fishing sector; the way in which he plans to distribute this funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2824/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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On 25 December 2020, the European Commission published a Proposal for an EU Regulation establishing a Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR). The objective of the proposed BAR is to provide support to counter the adverse consequences of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in Member States, regions and sectors, in particular those that are worst affected by that withdrawal, and to mitigate the related impact on the economic, social and territorial cohesion. The draft Regulation is subject to negotiations in the Council and European Parliament and its provisions may change.

It is proposed that the BAR would have a budget of €5.37 billion in current prices and that approximately €1 billion would be allocated to Ireland in 2021 as pre-financing to assist Ireland in funding appropriate measures in 2021 and 2022 to assist the worst affected sectors of our economy. The Government is very aware that our food sector, not least our fisheries sector, is particularly impacted by the outcome of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and is examining how best to deploy Ireland’s proposed allocation under the Reserve to help our economy adjust to the new arrangements. In relation to our seafood sector, I am exploring a variety of possible measures.

In relation to the impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on our seafood sector, Government has continued to make available the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to sectors impacted by the Pandemic, including our seafood sector. No additional funding has been made available by the European Union to fund any specific measures for our seafood sector. Rather, any Covid-specific supports I can provide for the sector must be funded through my Department’s existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Programme, which is nearing its end and has almost exhausted its budget.

The EMFF Programme provides a wide range of supports for fisheries, aquaculture, seafood processing and for coastal communities. It provides grants for capital investment, innovation, marketing, professional advice, training and applied research and throughout the Pandemic demand for these supports has been very strong, as seafood enterprises continue to invest to grow their businesses. In 2020, I introduced special Covid support schemes for both the aquaculture and fisheries sectors through the EMFF Programme. The Covid-19 Temporary Fleet Tie-Up Scheme assisted fishing vessels impacted by market disruption across Europe during the first wave, while the Covid-19 Aquaculture Support Scheme compensated aquaculture enterprises for the reduced sales and production caused by the Pandemic.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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712. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress his Department has made since he became Minister towards the establishment of a producer organisation for smaller Irish fishing vessels in the inshore fleet, given that it is a commitment in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2825/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government – Our Shared Future, commits to supporting the inshore fishing fleet in generating greater marketing and promotional capacity, by facilitating the establishment of a Producer Organisation for these smaller fishing vessels, thereby providing additional opportunity for the island and coastal communities involved in the inshore sector. My Department, as Competent Authority in Ireland for recognition of EU Producer Organisations in the seafood sector, facilitates the establishment of Producer Organisations, but it is a matter for individual groups of producers in the fisheries or aquaculture sectors to organise and apply for that recognition.

In April 2020, I published revised Irish Recognition Criteria under the EU CMO Regulation to be satisfied by any Irish group of producers seeking recognition as a seafood Producer Organisation. One of the main drivers for this revision was to better facilitate groups of inshore fishers and groups of aquaculture enterprises in achieving recognition as a Producer Organisation.

Producer Organisation status has many advantages, including better negotiating strength in the market for producers, financial supports under my Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme and certain protections under EU competition law.

In 2020, my Department received two applications from groups of inshore fishers seeking recognition as Producer Organisations. My Department is awaiting further information from the applicants to allow me to make a final determination on the applications within the three month time period specified in the CMO Regulation.

To further assist groups of producers in attaining Producer Organisation status, in 2020, I introduced new financial supports under my Department’s EMFF Programme, making available to groups of producers seeking recognition grants for IT equipment, office furniture, legal, accountancy and other relevant professional advice, website development costs and costs of room hire etc.