Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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672. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 736 of 14 October 2025, if he will clarify the statement “As these operators have access to alternative sources of mussel, it is difficult at present to fully assess the degree to which the incomes of those who fish mussel seed have been affected” given mussel fishermen are reporting that there are no alternative sources of mussels available with the entire east coast closed to them for a variety of reasons, pushing them into bankruptcy; and if he will ask BIM and his Department officials to examine a financial compensation and aid package for the affected fishermen. [57406/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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Bord Iascaigh Mhara continues to work closely with industry to develop technical solutions to industry issues. Seed bed surveys are carried out and published on the Bord Iascaigh Mhara website. A number of technical trials have been carried out to look at the relaying of rope grown mussel seed to the seabed to ensure the optimum survival rates. Mussel larval monitoring is also being used to assist the rope producers to deploy seed collectors at the correct time to ensures settlement.

A fuller analysis of the economic impact would be required before considering any possible supports, and any such supports would have to be considered within the constraints of EU funding Regulations and national budgetary processes.