To date, grant aid in excess of €12 million has been approved under two previous rounds of decisions under the FIFG co-financed aquaculture measure of the regional operational programmes. Applications in respect of a third tranche of funding under the measure are currently with An Bord Iascaigh Mhara and Údarás na Gaeltachta following a public call for projects. Such projects are assessed and prioritised by the agencies. Decisions on grant aid are made by the aquaculture selection committee for the Border, midlands and western region or the aquaculture selection committee for the southern and eastern region, as appropriate. These procedures were put in place in 2000 in the context of ensuring that procedures for approval of projects are fair, unbiased and take account of regional development priorities.
The Department is currently finalising a review of existing commitments to determine the extent to which further approvals of projects can be made under a third tranche of awards taking account of funding available.
Question No. 309 answered with Question No. 307.