Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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614. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress of the efforts by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to retrieve ghost gear (abandoned nets, and so on); the amount of material retrieved in each year since 1 January 2020; how successful these efforts have been; the cost of same; whether a new central scheme for all waterways is required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15385/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) implements the Clean Oceans initiative, which follows on from the previous 'Fishing for Litter' programme which has been in place since 2015.

Under the Clean Oceans initiative fishers participate voluntarily in the retrieval of marine litter that they encounter while at sea, and the disposal of same in designated facilities. As part of that programme, abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear may be collected during the course of fishing activities. There is no scheme in place to specifically retrieve only abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear. My Department supports BIM to administer this valuable initiative.  Funding is provided to ports to support the costs of skips for the removal and disposal of the material retrieved under this initiative.  A sum of €5,000 per year is available to each of the 12 ports taking part in this programme.

The following table provides further detail on the volumes of material collected over the timeframe specified:

In terms of any central scheme for all waterways, I do not have the remit for environmental management of inland waterways. Queries related to that would be best addressed to Waterways Ireland (which operates under the overall policy direction of the North South Ministerial Council) and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (which is under the remit of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage).

Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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615. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are plans to produce guidelines around coastal magnet fishing; if his Department will support the removal of metal waste from the Irish foreshore while protecting the State’s interests; if his Department will discuss the matter with other responsible Departments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15386/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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As so-called "magnet fishing" does not involve the harvesting of marine biological resources, it does not come within my remit as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, which comes within the remit of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, is the body responsible for granting marine licences for specified activities, including the removal of any substance or object from the sea or seabed.

I would like to reassure the Deputy that my Department assists in the collaborative effort to help in keeping our oceans clean and healthy and launched the Clean Oceans Initiative in January 2019. The Clean Oceans Initiative is managed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to help protect marine life from the harmful effects of plastic and other pollution. A number of activities form part of the initiative including ‘Fishing for Litter’ which encourages fishers to collect any litter or debris they come across while working at sea. I can inform the Deputy that Ireland’s fishing sector has collected more than 1,000 tonnes of marine litter as part of its ‘Fishing for Litter’ activities from its inception to date.