Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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559. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his announcement of €9 million of funding from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund for Greencastle Breakwater, County Donegal is the same project that he announced funding for almost a year ago with a €9 million contribution from his Department. [21761/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Last week I announced the approval of €31.7m in funding for 110 projects under the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023. The scheme is being proposed for funding from the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve and the main condition for reimbursement is that the costs incurred must be directly linked to countering the adverse effects of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union. 

The applications under the scheme are made by and prioritised by the relevant local authority.  In that regard, Donegal County Council, rightly in my view, took the initiative to apply for funding for the Greencastle Breakwater project under the scheme.  The Council did this knowing that I had already agreed that my Department would co-fund the project.  Clearly the Council recognised the benefit of the Scheme in terms of a preferential rate of funding of up to 90% and also recognised the unique opportunity to put some of Ireland's allocation from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve into a directly relevant project for the benefit of the Irish seafood industry.  I commend the Council for taking this initiative.  I'm sure the Deputy is aware of the significant exposure for the seafood industry in Donegal to the impacts of Brexit.     

In announcing the outcome of the first tranche of scheme applications I made it clear that this is the same Greencastle project that I had already agreed to support.  The project will be the single largest beneficiary under the scheme and I am happy to consider it a flagship project for the Scheme in that regard.