Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 November 2023
259. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the Brexit pelagic fisheries support scheme application submitted by Ireland to the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51642/23]
View answerI do not intend to publish the Brexit Pelagic Fisheries Support Scheme application submitted by Ireland to the EU Commission. Schemes submitted to the Commission for a State Aid decision are submitted in draft form, and are subject to a process involving consultation with a number of Directorates within the Commission. It is the norm that in the course of this consultation queries are raised by the Commission, and amendments are made to the schemes in light of these queries.
Once a positive State Aid decision is formally notified by the Commission, my Department checks that the final draft of the scheme document is fully aligned with the State Aid decision, and it is then that the final scheme document is provided to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), who is requested to implement same. The final scheme document is published and available on bim.ie/fisheries/funding/brexit-pelagic-fisheries-support-scheme/.
