Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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388. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to encourage the fishing industry with particular reference to ensuring that the industry here can compete with all others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61600/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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398. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he remains satisfied that the fishing industry will continue to sustain fishing families with increased emphasis on food processing and the protecting of fishing grounds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61594/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 and 398 together.

I can assure the Deputy that my Department constantly monitors the needs of the fisheries sector. Along with regularly meeting with representatives of the sector, holding formal consultations and attending public forums, we monitor developments in key economic indicators. My Department prepares and publishes an Annual Review and Outlook (ARO), which provides up-to-date information and statistical analysis from a variety of sources, to give a detailed overview of Ireland’s agri-food sector and an outlook for the future. This year’s report was published on 09 November.

Earlier this year, BIM published its Business of Seafood report for 2021.  The report indicated that employment in the seafood sector remained stable in 2021 with approximately 16,650 people employed directly and indirectly within the sector, an increase in overall employment of 1%. 

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) will, unfortunately, have an impact on our fishing industry. However, this impact would have been far greater had the Barnier Task Force agreed to UK demands, or had we been in a no-deal scenario which would have seen all EU vessels barred from UK waters and subsequent displacement into Ireland's fishing zone. 

I established the Seafood Sector Task Force in March 2021 to examine the impacts of the TCA on our fishing sector and coastal communities and to make recommendations to me on a mitigation strategy.  I received the Report of the Seafood Task Force in October 2021 and it recommends some 16 support schemes at a cost of €423 million.  I am progressing the implementation of the schemes in the Report.   

The scheme in progress include  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.

In addition to the measures recommended by the Task Force, my Department’s €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Programme 2014-20 has been operating since 2016, supporting the sustainable development of our seafood sector.  The Programme has been providing a wide range of financial supports to fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises and to enterprises, groups and individuals in coastal communities.  These include supports for capital investment, innovation, professional advisory services and marketing.  Through these measures, the Programme has been fostering the economic development of the seafood industry and coastal communities, building value and growing exports in these enterprises.  The EMFF Programme is now coming to an end and a new Seafood Development Programme under EMFAF 2021-27 has been prepared by my Department and has been submitted to the European Commission with a view to achieving adoption before the end of 2022

I can assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to addressing the challenges facing our seafood sector following the TCA.  I am pursuing all opportunities at EU level to help address the unequal burden sharing whereby Ireland carries an excessive burden of the EU quota transfers to the UK including in the CFP review which is currently in progress.