James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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943. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if grants will be available in the near future similar to the Brexit adjustment reserve local authority marine infrastructure scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47715/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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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 and their parent Department, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage thereafter.

The Brexit Adjustment Reserve Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme 2022-2023 (BALAMI) was a once off scheme exclusively for the rejuvenation of local authority owned public piers and harbours. BALAMI flowed from the Seafood Taskforce Report which addressed the impacts arising on the seafood sector from the EU/UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. The Scheme was a unique initiative designed to support job creation and protection by distributing Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) funds to enhance, upgrade, modernise and develop Ireland’s publicly owned coastal and marine infrastructure to facilitate diversification of economic opportunities.

My Department administered almost €40.4 million to 13 local authorities under the Scheme, €37.8 million from BAR and €2.6 million from the National Exchequer. Because BAR was a special one-off emergency instrument, governed by EU regulation, it is unlikely that an initiative such as BALAMI will be administered in the near future.

I am happy to inform the Deputy that as part of its annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme, my Department has allocated limited funding to support coastal local authorities in executing small-scale projects aimed at the development and repair of piers, harbours, and slipways under their ownership.

In May this year I announced an allocation of €4.3 million funding for coastal local authorities to support the repair, maintenance and development of fishery - and aquaculture - linked marine infrastructures under their ownership.

Any future Departmental local authority marine infrastructure schemes would be subject to available Exchequer funding, and overall national priorities.