Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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274. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish a full breakdown of funding provided to all fish producer organisations, including recently established, for the years 2015 to 2023 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26864/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The funding of Producer Organisations (POs) is provided for by my Department’s EMFF Seafood Development Programme 2014-2020 and details of payments made to each of these organisations since 2015 are provided in the table below. Payments are made through the Producer Organisation Scheme which was agreed by the EMFF Monitoring Committee and which consists to two elements. Part A of the scheme provides support for new POs. One such payment has been made during this period to the National Inshore Fishermens Assocation. The remaining payments were under Part B of the scheme which funds measures identified in the POs' Production and Marketing Plans (PMPs). These PMPs are submitted by POs on an annual basis, with the PO's Annual Report, and evaluated to assess that the criteria, established by EU regulation, have been met. Where it is established that these criteria have been met, funding is approved. Funding amounts for individual POs are based on simplified cost options, which calculate payments based on relevant expenditure by the POs over the previous three years.

The EMFF Programme is approaching closure, but grants to Producer Organisations will continue to be paid in 2023 for activities carried out in 2022. Eligible payments will be made later this year. Beyond this there is scope to provide funding for POs under my Department’s EMFAF Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027, which was adopted by the European Commission in December 2022.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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275. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the initiatives he intends taking and the funding he intends applying for in the context of climate action measures to move the Irish fishing fleet away from dependence on fossil fuels for operating their vessels and towards electric and renewable energy sources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26865/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I recognise the importance of energy transition for the Irish fishing fleet. The temporary spike in fuel prices experienced last year in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine highlighted the need to reduce the fleet’s dependence on fossil fuels to ensure the sector can remain profitable and economically sustainable. The need to respond to climate change has emphasised the need for the sector to become more environmentally sustainable.

The possibilities to substitute fossil fuels for renewable or low carbon fuels faces significant barriers and need greater exploration. While longer term possibilities of substitution of fossil fuels are being explored, I am taking immediate action through supporting the improvement of energy efficiency for the Irish fleet. Under my Department’s EMFAF Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027, actions have been included to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in the Irish Fleet. This will be supported through making funding available for the replacement or modernisation of vessel engines and supporting the adoption of more fuel-efficient fishing gears on board fishing vessels. Outside of direct supports, funding is also made available for research in the area of reducing carbon emissions.

Beyond fleet development, the Climate Action Plan 2023 contains two specific actions on this issue for my Department 1) to develop a roadmap for the efficient upgrading of existing infrastructure within the Fishery Harbour Centres and 2) to reduce fossil fuel dependency/consumption across Fishery Harbour Centre infrastructure.

The Fishery Harbours and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme for 2023 includes projects to upgrade existing lighting and heating systems in Fishery Harbour Centres. This includes €450,000 for Energy Saving Measures in Killybegs and €100,000 for similar works in Castletownbere. The provision of improved electrical shore power is expected to further reduce the consumption of fossil fuels by fishing vessels within the Fishery Harbour Centres. A key investment already in situ is the ‘Cold Ironing’ project at Killybegs which was part funded by the Irish Government and EMFF Seafood Development Programme at a cost of €1.7 million. That project is expected to save up to 2,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year and puts Killybegs at the forefront of having such technology.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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276. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the capital improvement funding that his Department is committing to this year and in future years to improve onshore infrastructure for small-scale vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26866/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres (FHCs), located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros an Mhíl under statute.

In 2023, I allocated €37.3m funding for capital investment into the FHCs and a small number of other locations under my Department's remit. Details of the project allocation are available in tabular form online at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/bbd0b-minister-mcconalogue-announces-investment-of-373million-in-capital-projects-in-irelands-six-fishery-harbour-centres/

Facilities and infrastructure are available to accommodate both larger and smaller vessels in each of the FHCs. In fact, there are dedicated small craft harbour facilities in a number of the FHCs. And as part of this year’s funding, €750,000 is specifically allocated for the small craft harbour welfare building in Ros an Mhíl, and €300,000 for the small craft harbour service building in Killybegs.

Funding is allocated on an annual basis in line with national priorities for Exchequer funds and in line with priorities set by my Department.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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277. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined introducing a subsidised scheme for the introduction of an automatic identification system or vessel monitoring system for the Irish inshore fishing fleet; the estimated cost of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26867/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, the Irish inshore fishing fleet comprises Irish-registered sea-fishing boats of less than 12 metres in overall length. Such boats are not required by EU legislation to have a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) fitted onboard.

There is national legislation in place that requires sea-fishing boats to have installed onboard fully functioning GPS (Global Positioning System) units for monitoring purposes when fishing for certain inshore stocks or in particular conservation areas. I am advised that GPS monitoring units have been provided to vessel owners in the above circumstances through a pilot project run by the Marine Institute which has been funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

Information gathered by the pilot project will inform the future development of vessel monitoring options for the inshore fishing fleet.