Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Report of the Seafood Task Force – Navigating Change (October 2021) recommended 16 support schemes at an estimated cost of €423 million, collectively designed to address the impacts of Brexit and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on our seafood sector and coastal communities. Given the large number of recommendations and the work required to examine each from the perspective of funding available, eligibility under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve Regulation, State Aid rules, and the Public Spending, the Task Force recommended that its 16 recommended schemes be considered on a phased and prioritised basis.

Since the publication of the Task Force Report, many of the recommended schemes have since been launched. The first of these was a Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme which ran from October to December 2021. It made available supports of €4,600 up to €88,700 per month depending on vessel size for vessels to tie-up for a calendar month. Vessels in the Rockall squid fishery could tie-up for 2 months at these rates. In total, some 179 vessels availed of this scheme at a cost of €10 million.

I introduced this tie-up scheme again last month and it will operate until November this year. To further assist the fishing fleet in these difficult times, I am allowing each vessel to receive aid for 2 months in 2022. Already, some 67 vessels availed of the scheme for the month of June, with a further 43 approved for tie-up for July.

For the inshore fleet, a Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Scheme operated over January to March and was availed of by 771 inshore fishing vessel owners at a cost of €2.6 million to assist in adjusting their business to the post Brexit environment. In addition, a Brexit Inshore Marketing Scheme is underway and is investing €600,000 in 2022 in promoting stocks of interest to inshore fishers to support prices at the quayside.

Separately, a €45 million Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme is open for applications at present, with the aim of supporting the seafood processing sector to engage in transformational change, mitigating the effects of Brexit, and assisting the sector to move further up the supply chain to produce higher value seafood products. Grants of up to 50% for capital investment are available.

For coastal communities, a €25 million Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme is open for applications and aims to counter the adverse economic and social consequences of Brexit on businesses operating in the blue economy in our coastal regions. The scheme offers aid of up to €200,000 for capital investments and also offers aid for training and mentoring.

Additionally, a €35 million Brexit Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme is well underway, with grants of €32 million approved for local authorities to renew important local infrastructure that will facilitate both fishing activities and the growth of our blue economy.

Further support schemes are anticipated in coming months, with four awaiting State Aid clearance from the European Commission. This includes a voluntary decommissioning scheme, an off register capacity buyout scheme, a capital support scheme for aquaculture, and a liquidity support scheme for fisheries cooperatives.