Written answers
Tuesday, 23 July 2024
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Fishing Industry
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1627.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the moneys spent and allocated to the fishing industry and the associated fisheries representative agencies, such as the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Marine Institute and Bord Bia, in the current European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund Operational Programme 2021-2027; the full breakdown for 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; the future spending for following years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31320/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The €258 million European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) operating programme forms Ireland’s principal source of development funding for the seafood sector in the coming years. This fund, co-funded by the EU and Government of Ireland and administered by my Department, will build on and ensure continuity of the valuable supports provided to the sector under both its predecessor the €240m European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funded schemes implemented between 2021 and 2023 on foot of the Seafood Task Force Report.
Just over €123 million in direct payments were made to the Irish Fishing Fleet between 2021 and 2023 under the BAR funded schemes. Details of these payments are included in the table below.
| Scheme | Budget Allocation | Total Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Brexit Voluntary Permanent Cessation Scheme | €80,000,000 | €59,312,818 |
| Brexit Off-Register Capacity Buy-Out Scheme | €2,800,000 | €2,580,057 |
| Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Scheme 2022 | €3,700,000 | €2,664,600 |
| Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Scheme 2023 | €3,500,000 | €2,437,000 |
| Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme 2021 | €12,500,000 | €10,013,300 |
| Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme 2022 | €24,000,000 | €18,876,100 |
| Brexit Fisheries Co-operatives Transition Scheme 2022 | €1,000,000 | €719,124 |
| Brexit Fisheries Co-operatives Transition Scheme 2023 | €1,000,000 | €990,539 |
| Brexit Specific Scallop Fleet Support Scheme | €560,000 | €552,000 |
| Brexit Pelagic Fisheries Support Scheme | €25,600,000 | €24,940,105 |
| Total | €154,660,000 | €123,085,643 |
A €1m Brexit Inshore Marketing Scheme implemented by Bord Bia supported the expansion of market opportunities for stocks of interest to the inshore fleet.
In addition to the schemes which supported the fishing fleet, BAR funding was also provided to support substantial capital investments in the seafood processing and aquaculture sectors:
- A total of €30.4m in direct payments to industry was provided under Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme.
- The Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme provided a total of €4.3m in direct funding to the aquaculture sector.
As a result of the exceptional and time limited nature of the funding supports available to the sector under the BAR, there has been some delay in the commencement of elements of the EMFAF programme, particularly those which reach the sector directly. However in recent weeks I have announced the opening of a range of schemes directly accessible to industry, including an Inshore Fisheries Scheme, a Sustainable Fisheries Scheme, an Aquaculture Capital Investment Scheme, a Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme and a Young Fishers Scheme.
Spending under EMFAF:
In the interests of clarity, I would note that the agencies listed are not fisheries representative agencies, these are State Agencies, funded by my Department to fulfil functions set out in statute, under the aegis of my Department. These agencies have received funding in recent years under the EMFAF programme for relevant measures under their own work programmes.
The table below sets out the requested EMFAF spend by agency and by year.
| Agency | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 (to date) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIM | nil | 5,254,706 | 6,297,051 | 3,890,000 | 15,441,757 |
| Bord Bia | nil | 2,000,000 | 2,000,000 | 373,903 | 4,373,903 |
| Marine Institute | 8,167,944 | 9,930,741 | 10,834,698 | 4,821,330 | 33,754,713 |
| SFPA | nil | 2,806,163 | 2,255,183 | 1,526,305 | 6,587,651 |
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1628.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the funding provided to all fish producer organisations under the current financing arrangements; if upfront funding has been provided to any of the named organisations for the years 2015 to 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31321/24]
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1635.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to publish a full outline of all funding provided to all fish producer organisations under the current financing arrangements; if he has provided any upfront funding to any of the named organisations for the years 2015 to 2024 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31465/24]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1628 and 1635 together.
Funding for officially recognised Producer Organisations (POs) in the seafood sector is provided via a scheme funded under the relevant cohesion fund. Under the terms of the scheme, POs apply for funding in respect of the previous calendar year.
Payments to POs in 2023, in respect of 2022, issued under the scheme funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Payments to POs in respect of the 2023 financial year will be made in 2024, under a scheme to be funded under the European, Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021-2027 (EMFAF). The administrative arrangements required in order to provide payments under this year's scheme are currently being finalised, including the adoption of the required Implementation Plan by the EMFAF Monitoring Committee. We anticipate this will be completed in the coming weeks. This scheme has been discussed with the POs, and will be similar to that which operated under the EMFF.
Measures supported under the EMFF scheme include:
- the preparation of Producer Organisations’ production and marketing plans (PMPs) and Annual Reports
- the administrative costs of implementation of the PMP
- the administrative costs in relation to participation in the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee
- indirect costs, as appropriate
- capital Costs, as appropriate
- attendance at specified meetings
- dissemination of knowledge & advisory services
- other identified measures
It is not possible at present to provide a precise figure regarding the level of funding that will be provided in 2024, as the applications for funding cannot be assessed until the scheme is finalised and in place. It will depend on the number of POs that submit applications that are eligible for funding and the level of funding sought for eligible costs under the scheme. It would be reasonable to estimate that it will be at least at the same level as in 2023.
From 2015 to date, no upfront funding has been provided to any Fish Producer Organisation, as there was no provision in the scheme that allowed the payment of upfront funding.
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