Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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721. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to create additional educational and training opportunities including apprenticeships for young persons to enter the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54467/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I keep the training and educational needs of our seafood sector under ongoing review with Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) in order to ensure that the sector has the wide ranging skills and knowledge needed to operate safely and sustainably and achieve its potential to develop and prosper.

BIM makes available a wide ranging syllabus of specialist training for our seafood sector and further details are available at bim.ie/fisheries/training/. BIM also makes available grants under my Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme for participation in training and relevant educational programmes.

Some recent and upcoming additional training includes the redevelopment of the foundation deckhand programme to equip new entrants to the seafood industry with the core skills required to work on modern fishing vessels. This programme provides the base for those wishing to pursue a career at sea, and can be built upon with a range of subsequent programmes including radio training, marine firefighting and crew and skipper qualifications which are currently offered to the sector.

BIM has recently developed and attained approval for the delivery of STCW (Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping) Medical Care Aboard Ship which is a requirement for all skippers of fishing vessels over 15m in length.

BIM is also presently investigating the development of an apprenticeship in Marine Technology, which would upskill fishers in other fields, equipping them with skills that can be used elsewhere within the community.