Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1560. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he has taken to address the call in the Inshore Fishing: Motion (Private Members) of 25 January 2023 immediately to allocate funds from the available EMFAF, to provide direct financial support to the Irish inshore fleet, which makes up 91 per cent of Ireland's fishing fleet [13048/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In December last year I was pleased to announce that Ireland’s EMFAF Seafood Development Programme had been adopted by EU Commission. This new programme consists of funding up to €258.4 million, which includes a €134 million EU contribution and a Government of Ireland contribution of €116 million.

Small scale coastal fisheries are called out for special attention within the new programme. For the inshore sector and wider fisheries sector, the Programme will provide for continued support for capital investment on board, capital investment ashore relating to the landing obligation, innovation in fishing gear and methods, technical advice to the fleet, acquisition of first vessel by young fishers, supports to the inshore fleet, training, and marketing, as well as public interest projects which will help the inshore sector to develop in a sustainable manner.

The precise nature of schemes and how they are delivered will be developed during the first half of this year. Any schemes or projects put forward for support will have to be assessed in respect of eligibility and in accordance with all relevant EU regulations and guidelines.

Input from stakeholders is also important as part of the process of scheme development and implementation. As during the development of the Programme, inshore fishers will have a voice in the implementation of the Programme through their participation in the Programme’s Monitoring Committee.

In addition to the opportunities for the inshore sector contained in the EMFAF programme €500,000 has been invested in 2023 in an Inshore Marketing Scheme which is delivered by Bord Bia to promote sales of stocks of interest to inshore fishermen, in order to boost prices at the quayside. The plan focuses on supporting the sales and promotion of inshore species such as Irish crab, lobster, whelks, inshore herring/mackerel and line caught hake and pollock on both the domestic and export markets. €1 million in funding has been provided between 2022 and 2023 on this initiative.