Cecilia Keaveney
Question:330 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on a matter, details supplied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17876/04]
View answerTuesday, 15 June 2004
Questions (279)
Written answers
An application seeking grant assistance in respect of the company referred to by the Deputy was received on 18 November 2003 by An Bord Iascaigh Mhara under the EU co-funded aquaculture development measure of the Southern and Eastern, S & E, and the Border Midland and Western, BMW, regional operational programmes of the National Development Plan 2000-2006.
The application was assessed and prioritised by BIM for Exchequer and FIFG grant assistance and BIM submitted the project to the aquaculture selection boards for the S & E region and the BMW region. The application is one of a number of applications considered by the aquaculture selection boards at their meetings on 25 May. A large number of new projects were submitted involving total grant of €10.517 million. When taken together with projects previously approved, the total commitment would amount to an estimated 94% of the grant aid provided for aquaculture under the BMW regional programme and an estimated 87% for the S & E regional programme, assuming all projects were approved. Taking account of the substantial level of grant aid involved, the boards did not make any decisions pending a determination on the allocations of such funding in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 financial envelopes for aquaculture development under the NDP to be provided to the Department in the Estimates.
Over the coming weeks the Department will be examining the extent of financial commitments arising out of grant aid awarded to date under the scheme, and will also be examining the projected demand relating to prioritised projects in the context of available funding for 2005 and subsequent years. Decisions on the processing of the applications under the measures will be made in light of the outcome of this exercise.
On regional advisory councils, these are stakeholder-led organisations and include representation of all the interests affected by the Common Fisheries Policy, while recognising the primacy of fishing interests given the effects on them of management decisions and policies. I am satisfied that the interests of the aquaculture sector can be effectively represented in the councils and I am pleased that the sector is actively interested in getting involved in the work of the councils.