Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Sep 1996

Vol. 469 No. 1

Written Answers. - Inland Fisheries Funding.

Rory O'Hanlon

Question:

674 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for the Marine the amount of European funding provided for inland fisheries in 1994 and 1995; the amount of money allocated to the Central Fisheries Board and each regional board; if all such moneys were drawn down; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16301/96]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

The following table shows the amount of European funding earmarked for inland fisheries in 1994 and 1995 under the various EU programmes and initiatives and the actual drawdown in each case by beneficiaries, including the Fisheries Boards.

EU Programme	EU Funding 1994	EU Funding 1995
	Provision	Actual Drawdown	Provision	Actual Drawdown
	£IR	£IR	£IR	£IR
Fisheries Surveillance	442,300	440,727	550,000	445,970
Tourism Angling Measure of Operational Programme for Tourism, 1994-99	187,500	187,500	2,097,000	770,700
Fisheries Measure of INTERREG II Programme, 1994-99	Nil	Nil	422,250	Nil
Total	629,800	628,227	3,069,250	1,216,670

The Fisheries Surveillance Programme provides for an EU contribution of 50 per cent (less National taxes) towards certain expenditure association with the protection of salmon stocks. Three new fisheries protection vessels were acquired under the 1994 and 1995 programmes at a total cost of over almost £1.5 million.

The Tourism Angling Measure of the Operational Programme for Tourism provides for total investment of almost £19 million in the development of the tourism angling product. The main beneficiaries under this Measure include the Fisheries Boards, Angling Clubs, private fisheries owners, the Marine Institute, the Salmon Research Agency and the Office of Public Works.

The Fisheries Measures of the INTERREG II Programme provide for total investment of £2.5 million in the protection, conservation and development of fisheries in the Border Region. The first project to be approved for funding under these Measures, the £1.7 million Erne Salmon Rehabilitation Programme, was announced within recent weeks.

The table below shows the amount of money allocated to the Central Fisheries Board and each Regional Board in 1994 and 1995 under the Fisheries Surveillance Programme and the Tourism Angling Measure:

Board	Fisheries Surveillance	Tourism Angling Measure	Total
Allocation 1994	Allocation 1995	Allocation 1994	Allocation 1995
	IR£	IR£	IR£	IR£	IR£
Central Fisheries Board	229,000	307,250	172,500	207,750	916,500
Eastern Regional Fisheries Board	5,600	7,750	—	—	13,350
Southern Regional Fisheries Board	5,000	19,750	—	750	25,500
South-Western Regional Fisheries Board	3,700	12,250	—	—	15,950
Shannon Regional Fisheries Board	3,500	7,750	—	32,250	43,500
Western Regional Fisheries Board	5,100	7,750	—	121,500	134,350
North-Western Regional Fisheries Board	6,300	33,500	—	223,500	263,300
Northern Regional Fisheries Board	3,600	14,000	—	19,500	37,100
Total	261,800	410,000	172,500	605,250	1,449,550