Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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344. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the funding allocated to local authorities under the local authority marine infrastructure scheme over the past 15 years, by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27925/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The responsibility for the development and maintenance of local authority owned piers, harbours and slipways rests with each local authority in the first instance. The primary governance role for local authorities rests with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

However, my Department has, as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, provided limited funding to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.

Funding for approved projects is allocated in advance of project commencement, generally in Spring each year. It is then up to each local authority to manage and deliver the projects, and to submit a claim for reimbursement within the timeframe of the annual scheme. My Department reimburses any eligible project costs (pro-rata) on a matured liability basis following inspection of the capital works and verification of the evidenced expenditure. The focus of the scheme is to support actual capital works and it is a matter for each local authority to progress any preparatory studies, permitting and design works. Therefore, if the Deputy requires overall investment (project costs), each local authority would be best positioned to provide same.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that on 21st May last, Minister Dooley and I announced an allocation of €4.33 million for 57 projects across 11 coastal local authorities under the 2025 Programme. My Department will co-fund up to 75% of the eligible project costs, with the local authorities providing the balance.

The attached table details the funding reimbursed by my Department to local authorities in the period 2010-2024, including the unprecedented level of funding administered under the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023.

The 2025 funding allocation to local authorities is included in the table. Final expenditure for 2025 will not be available until after the scheme closes at the end of the year.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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345. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the funding allocated under the fishery harbour centre and coastal infrastructure development programme over the past 15 years, year by year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27926/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department 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.

This Department profiles a 5-7 year capital programme of works consistent with the objectives of the National Development Plan, and subject to project feasibility and prioritisation of resources. The strategic objective of the programme is to ensure the future viability of the fishing industry. Every year my Department allocates funding under the Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme with details of the capital projects planned for each FHC in the coming year.

All capital projects are subject to rigorous project management processes including design, tender action and implementation stages, and ongoing monitoring, evaluation and review in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Capital Works Management Framework and the Infrastructural Guidelines.

Additionally, all contractual projects are subject to the applicable conditions of contract and as such it is necessary to follow due process in accordance with such conditions. Larger capital projects are normally multi-annual projects and may be subject to phases of completion which carry over into subsequent years.

My Department periodically reviews the annual capital allocation to make best use of any potential savings should projects be delayed or postponed. The re-evaluation of the programme allows some ongoing projects to be scaled up, and some projects proposed for future development to be brought forward.

On 13th March last, Minister Dooley and I announced an allocation of €27.7 million to my Department’s 2025 Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme. This comprises an investment package of €23.4 million for the six FHCs (including €385,000 for Cape Clear, Piers, Lights & Beacons and Safety and Maintenance), and €4.3 million to assist coastal local authorities in carrying out small scale projects for the development and repair of piers, harbours and slipways in their ownership.

The three attached tables detail the actual expenditure under each of the three elements of the Fishery Harbour Centre and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme for 2010-2024 inclusive, and also the estimated spend for 2025. The figures include the unprecedented level of funding administered under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, including the Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme 2022-2023.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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346. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current annual budget for the Marine Institute in Ireland; the cost of increasing this budget by 5%, 10% and 15% respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27927/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The funding provided by my Department provides for the current and capital costs of the Marine Institute (MI) to enable it to perform its core functions. This includes research and data collection underpinning the Common Fisheries Policy; co-coordinating, promoting and assisting in marine research and development and providing such services related to marine research and development that facilitate marine economic development while protecting the marine environment.

The funding provided by my Department to the Marine Institute for 2025 is €45,063,000.

The cost of increasing this allocation by the percentages suggested by the Deputy are tabulated below:

In addition to its core functions which support the work of my Department, the MI also carries out work across a range of areas in relation to Ireland's marine resource which supports the work of other Government Departments. The Marine Institute also receives funding from other Departments and entities.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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347. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual budget allocated to the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27928/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is an independent regulatory agency as set down in the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006. The SFPA promotes compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, sea-fisheries law and food safety law relating to fish and fish products, verifies compliance and, where necessary, enforces it.

The budget allocation for the SFPA for 2025 is €26.027 m.

The annual budget allocation enables the SFPA to continue to meet its National and EU obligations as Ireland's Competent Authority for the enforcement of sea fisheries and seafood safety law.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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348. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the preparatory work, stakeholder engagements, and policy priorities concerning fisheries and the marine being planned by his Department in advance of Ireland’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union; if he will ensure that the issue of the deeply unfair allocation of fish quotas to the Irish fishing fleet within the Irish exclusive economic zone is raised during engagements at Council level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27931/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Ireland will hold the six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 July to 31 December 2026. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to resource and deliver a successful EU Presidency. During the Presidency, Ireland will be responsible for driving the EU policy agenda and advancing work on EU legislative and policy initiatives.

Planning for the Presidency is being led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in close cooperation with the Department of an Taoiseach, and with the participation of all Government Departments. In addition, my Department has met with the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries as well as Members of the European Parliament to discuss potential priorities related to Fisheries and Marine issues which may arise during Ireland's Presidency.

On the matter of fishing quotas, the share allocation of stocks between Member States was established as a principle of the first Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in 1983 and was based on the average catch of each Member State over a period of reference years (track record). The only exception to this relates to the Hague Preferences, on the basis of a special recognition agreement of the underdeveloped nature of the Irish fleet and the heavy control responsibility on us when Ireland joined the EU. The Hague Preferences give Ireland an increased share of important whitefish stocks when Total Allowable Catch (TAC) levels reduce below a specified level.

Any change to the existing system of quota allocations would require a majority of Member States to agree under the qualified majority voting system. This would require other Member States to give up existing quota shares. Irrespective of which Member State holds the Presidency, any change to relative stability would involve a loss for some other Member States and therefore poses particular challenges in a qualified majority voting context.

Ireland has consistently called for the Commission to fully analyse and report on the impacts of Brexit on the CFP, and in particular, the impact on the EU and Member States’ fishing opportunities as a result of quota transfers under the EU-UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement.

The Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, and my colleague Minister of State Timmy Dooley met with fisheries stakeholders in Castletownbere on 23 May. Stakeholders welcomed the stability provided by the recent agreement between the EU and UK to extend the current arrangements for reciprocal access to each other's waters for 12 years with no additional quota transfers to the UK. However, stakeholders also highlighted the issue of the internal EU share allocation of stocks.

This is an issue that my Department will continue to focus on, particularly in the context of the ongoing evaluation of the CFP Regulation.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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349. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current list of support schemes and initiatives for fishermen and sea workers; the initiatives-schemes that are in development and-or are planned to be launched; the funding for same, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27932/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Funding for supports for the commercial seafood sector that are implemented by my Department are provided under the Seafood Development Programme (SDP). The SDP is co-funded by the Irish government and the EU Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027. Schemes for industry under the SDP are primarily implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) details of which are set out below, and Bord Bia also provides funding to industry under the SDP to assist seafood processors to attend international trade shows and market study visits, and carry out consumer and market research.

Separately to the SDP, my Department also funds supports and services provided by Bord Bia to the agri-food sector, including seafood.

In addition to the funding my Department provides Bord Bia for the marketing and promotion of Irish seafood, my Department also provides funding to Bord Bia for supports and services which are not restricted to the seafood sector but are accessed by seafood processors, in particular:

• Marketing grants under the Marketing Assistance Programme. These grants support seafood clients that have a turnover no greater than €3.5mn annually. In 2025 a total of €128,000 was allocated to seafood clients under this grants scheme.
• Co-funding for Strategic brand design and website development services - an average of 4 seafood client projects annually to a total de minimus aid of an estimated €30-€40k.
• Supports for innovation and new product development through New Product Development (NPD) workshops; the sharing of the latest consumer and market trends through webinars, seminars and one to one NPD workshops to help fuel the innovation pipeline within the seafood sector.
• Access to Bord Bia’s global office network through which services such as customer identification, customer prospecting, market research and in market supports with Promotions & PR can be accessed by the seafood sector.
• Dedicated Seafood Insights Specialist to support NPD and brand development - this resource works on a one to one basis with the seafood processors to provide strategic support around areas such as branding, marketing, commercial marketing strategy and innovation.
• The Bord Bia Fellowship programme which offers seafood clients an opportunity to have a dedicated marketing/sales/research resource in specific export markets: On average there are 3-4 seafood client assignments each round of the Fellowship Programme.
• The MSc in Insights & Innovation Programme.
• Bord Bia’s client capability services which offer seafood clients access to services such as key account management, category management, negotiation skills training and other marketing services.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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350. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the publication timeline for a five-year fisheries sector strategy that will include an examination of the processing sector, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27933/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The preparatory work necessary to develop a fisheries sector strategy is at an early stage so a timeline for publication is currently not available.

My colleague, Minister of State Timmy Dooley, is currently engaging with seafood sector stakeholders to identify issues and opportunities in order to form a view on setting the Terms of Reference for a Fisheries Sector strategy.