Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy, that since the start of the pandemic, the Department has been involved in funding to provide support to various affected sectors.

- The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) has supported two dedicated schemes to the Seafood Sector. The first of these, the EMFF COVID-19 Aquaculture Support Scheme, assisted in maintaining viable aquaculture enterprises which have suffered an economic shock in 2020 arising from a significant reduction in production or sales as a consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The objective of the scheme is that these enterprises may recover and contribute to the sustainable growth of production, value and employment in the aquaculture sector in the years ahead. A total of 152 successful applicants received funding totalling €1,234,976 to date. As this scheme was co-funded with the EU at a rate of 50%, the Irish government contribution was €617,488.

- The second scheme was the COVID-19 Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme. The purpose of this scheme was to reduce the input of fish to a market that has been severely depressed by the COVID-19 Pandemic, while keeping adequate vessels fishing to maintain a food supply, and to contribute to the fixed costs incurred b fishing vessels while tied-up. A total of 92 successful applicants received funding totalling €194,100.

- The Beef Finisher Payment (BFP) scheme is a one off, exchequer funded grant aid scheme under the COVID-19 State Aid Temporary Framework. The objective of the Beef Finisher Payment is to provide support for beef finishing farms in Ireland which have been severely impacted by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.  A total of €46.6 million was paid at the end of 2020 to over 15,000 farmers.

- €11,704,960 in expenditure has been incurred on the SBCI Working Capital Scheme comprising the Brexit Loan Scheme and the COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme which has been designed, in cooperation with the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment (DETE) and SBCI, to provide funding support to eligible Irish businesses in the current period of economic disruption. These Schemes are open to SMEs and mid-caps (i.e. up to 500 employees).

- The Department owns, operates, maintains and develops six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, and there were four ex gratia Covid-19 related payments in relation to capital/construction works at these Centres. The works totalled €855,565.

- Also, the Department agreed to provide funding of €150,470 to students in Teagasc. This was to provide support similar to the funding provided to other students in third level institutions by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. 

Other Covid-19 costs include:

- The Department’s laboratories in Backweston incurred expenditure of €152,000 on laboratory consumables and PPE for facilities and related activities specific to Covid-19 work.  

- In addition, the Department has implemented various workplace controls to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 transmission in the workplace by complying with the Government’s Public Health guidelines. Where available, the Department availed of Office of Government Procurement (OGP) contracts in the procurement of Covid-19 related supplies and services. Total expenditure on these measures amounted to €434,478.