Mary Coughlan
Question:218 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for the Marine the progress, if any, that has been made regarding an early retirement scheme for fishermen. [9140/96]
Written Answers. - Fishermen's Early Retirement Scheme.
An EU Regulation (EC 2719/95) amending Council Regulation 3699/93 was adopted by Council on 20 November 1995. This Regulation allows EU moneys from the financial instrument for fisheries guidance (FIFG) to be used for part-time financing an early retirement scheme for fishermen subject to certain conditions. However, no additional FIFG funds have been provided by the EU to support any such scheme. Existing FIFG funds available to Ireland are allocated under the Fisheries Operational Programme 1994-1999 and the PESCA Community Initiative. These funds are already fully committed. In this context and in the context of priorities within the fisheries sector I have no proposals for an early retirement scheme for fishermen at this point.