Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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670. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way that the fisheries sector has been strengthened and developed since 27 June 2020. [61811/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Since 27 June 2020, there has been ongoing investment in our fisheries sector, primarily through the EMFF Seafood Development Programme 2014-2020. The Programme provides for funding for fishers and for other parts of the seafood supply chain. It also provides for funding for public interest fisheries projects which aim to protect our marine environment so that fishing opportunities exist for years to come, while also exploring novel ways to increase productivity and profitability of our seafood sector. In 2020 the Programme invested €32.47 million in Ireland’s seafood sector while in 2021 a further €26.82 million was invested. This programme is approaching its conclusion and nearly all available funds have been exhausted.

In the wake of the Trade and Co-Operation Agreement, I quickly established the Seafood Task Force to make recommendations on how best to support the seafood sector and coastal communities to adjust to the post-Brexit environment. Its deliberations resulted in 16 recommendations outlining supports worth €423 million. The majority of these recommendations were for supports for fishers, with additional supports proposed for other parts of the seafood supply chain. Based on these recommendations, I have already announced €225 million worth of supports and investment programmes. This includes expanding schemes, such as the 2022 tie-up scheme, to assist fishers in surviving the increasingly challenging and volatile operating environment which has emerged in 2022. It also includes a decommissioning scheme which will allow for a restructuring of the fleet so it can better align with available fishing opportunities. Schemes directed at other parts of the seafood sector will also ensure stronger and greater added value markets for Irish caught seafood and ensure greater employment prospects within our coastal communities.

These initial schemes are leveraging the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. However, the Task Force envisaged that the new Seafood Development Programme also be utilised to ensure longer term supports are developed. In September of this year, my Department’s EMFAF Seafood Development Programme was approved by Government. This is a larger programme than its predecessor, with up to €258 million in funding available for further investment in the sector.

In addition to direct supports to fishers, investment has been provided for necessary infrastructure development to support fishing activities. In 2020, €16.4m was invested under the 2020 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme though this programme was announced prior to the formation of the current Government. The Programme invests into the six Fishery Harbour Centres (Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth) and infrastructure owned by the Local Authorities . Under the 2021 programme, €26.2m of funding was invested into the ongoing development of Ireland’s publicly owned harbour network. In 2022, almost €33.5m will be invested to modernise the facilities provided in the Fishery Harbour Centres. On 7th December, I announced that a total of €55.3m is being made available for 164 projects under the Brexit Adjustment: Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme (BALAMI) 2022 – 2023. This scheme was designed to help the seafood sector adapt to the impacts of Brexit though modernised public marine facilities. These investments demonstrate this Government’s serious commitment to supporting the fishing industry and rural coastal communities.

These initiatives combined are not only resulting in a significant injection of funding into the fisheries sector, but also ensure long term sustainability in terms of both business and environment, and are resulting in greater levels of resilience to the challenges that have arisen and may arise within the operating environment.