Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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180. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason his Department takes fishermen to court who are having difficulties in paying harbour fees or dues; if negotiations and discussions take place in these cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7025/22]

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.

Charges for the use of the facilities at each of the six Fishery Harbour Centres are set out in secondary legislation by means of the Fishery Harbour Centres (Rates and Charges) Order 2012 (S.I. No. 214 of 2012) which came into effect on the 1st July 2012. Income from these charges, rental income and other miscellaneous fees and charges pay for the day to day operational costs of the Fishery Harbour Centres.

The staff of the Department’s Debt Recovery Unit make every effort to facilitate fishers and other customers in addressing their arrears. Instalment arrangements are offered to customers in financial difficulty. The Department initiates legal proceedings when, and only when, all efforts to persuade debtors to engage meaningfully on debts owed to the Department have been unsuccessful.

All overdue debt is systematically monitored and followed up by the Department, and procedures, (including the institution of legal proceedings) are in place to pursue recovery of all outstanding debt.

I would encourage any harbour user experiencing difficulty with payment capacity to engage early with my Department.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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181. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the huge increase in the running cost for fishermen in relation to the cost of their fishing vessels over the past year; and the financial supports or interventions he plans to make to address this. [7102/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am acutely aware of the increases in the costs of doing business over the past year, for fishers, farmers and indeed across all sectors of our economy and society. The Deputy will be aware that the Government is currently carrying out a widespread review to consider what steps it can take in the short term to alleviate some of the inflationary pressure which households and businesses are presently experiencing.

My Department's European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Programme 2014-20 is the principal source of financial support funding for our seafood sector. The Programme is almost at an end, with a new Programme being developed at present. Article 25 of the EMFF Regulation (508/2014) precludes me from providing supports for operational costs.