Written answers

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishing Industry

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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599. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated number of jobs that are expected to be lost in the Irish fishing industry as a result of the impending Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund voluntary decommissioning scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47230/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Seafood Task Force, which included representatives of the five fisheries producer organisations and the four main fisheries cooperatives, recommended in its October 2021 report that a voluntary decommissioning scheme should be implemented to help restore balance between fishing fleet capacity and available quotas, following the reductions in quotas arising from the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

I announced the State Aid approval of the €60 million scheme in August and it was opened for applications by BIM in September. In line with the recommendations of the Taskforce, I am also requiring that owners of vessels who choose to participate in the scheme must ensure that crew working on their vessel are compensated for their loss of livelihood following the decommissioning of their vessel. Crew payments can range up to a maximum of €50,000 per individual.

As the scheme remains open for applications until 24 October, the numbers participating in the scheme are not known at this time.

The scheme runs concurrently with a series of schemes aimed at creating jobs in the seafood sector and in coastal communities, including the €45 million Brexit Seafood Processing Capital Scheme, the €20 million Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme and €25 million Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme. In total, €225m in supports and developmental strategies have been announced which will contribute to sustaining employment in the seafood sector as a whole, providing new career opportunities and ensuring those transitioning within the sector are supported.

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