Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1819. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when decisions will be made on applications to the decommissioning scheme for fishing vessels arising from Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1007/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In July 2022, I announced the Brexit Voluntary Permanent Cessation Scheme with a budget of €60 million in direct payments and tax relief worth up to a further €20 million. The scheme was developed based on a recommendation of the Seafood Task Force to help restore balance between fishing fleet capacity and available quotas, following the reductions in quotas for stocks arising from the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The recommendation proposed that the decommissioning of vessels with total capacity of up to 8,000 gross tonnes and 21,000 kilowatts could restore the viability of the remaining fleet. 

The scheme was subsequently open to applications through BIM. Participation in the scheme was entirely voluntary and to allow fishers to fully consider their options, the closing date for applications was extended until 18 November 2022. Following analysis of the profile of the applicants, to achieve the target of the recommendation and ensure applicants received full premiums, it was calculated that additional funding was required and this would require a State Aid application.

At a meeting on 10 January 2023, I met with representatives of the fishing industry and informed them that a State Aid decision had just been received allowing for direct payments of up to €75 million and with tax relief increasing proportionately. The result of this is that BIM  have now issued offers to all 57 eligible applicants. The decommissioning of these vessels will make available an extra €34m in quota for the approximately 170 whitefish vessels remaining in the whitefish fleet, improving their profitability and securing the future of the fleet. I am satisfied that I have now enabled all those who have chosen to apply for this scheme receive the full value of the scheme payment as guided by the Seafood Taskforce recommendation.