Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Brexit Fish Processor Transition Scheme aimed to facilitate and underpin the short-term orderly transition of the processing sector post-Brexit through provision of transition funding and training. The scheme supported seafood processing plant enterprises with an approvals number issued by the SFPA – Processing Plant (PP) or Fresh Fishery Products Plant (FFPP). To be eligible for funding, beneficiaries must have be able to show a 15% or more reduction in turnover (in 2021 compared to their average turnover for 2018-2020) as a direct result of Brexit, and show that at least 55% of purchases of seafood by value made during the reference year came from an Irish port or from a UK port. The scheme had a budget of €7 million, and was administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

Scheme terms and conditions are available on the BIM website at the following link - BIM - Brexit Fish Processor Transition Scheme.

As part of the scheme Terms and Conditions, an applicant must:

‘1 Be able to show an actual reduction of at least 15% in turnover for the 12-month period from January to December 2021, compared to the average annual turnover for the 3 year period 2018-2020;

Note:

For the purposes of this scheme turnover can be calculated with reference to [1]. The applicant’s turnover of seafood stocks of species directly impacted by TCA quota cuts in the relevant periods; OR [2] the total turnover of the applicant for the relevant periods.

Turnover for the 3 year period 2018-2020 can be provided in either [1] all calendar years OR [2] all financial years. A mixture of calendar and financial years is not permitted.

Turnover for the 12-month period from January to December 2021 will be accepted in calendar years only.’

BIM has advised that in this application the approved grant amount was calculated on TCA species as per [1] above. As squid is not a TCA species it could not be taken into account.