Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 November 2013
524. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans for incentives for small business start-ups or expansions to take place on Department-owned facilities within each of the fishery harbour centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50182/13]
View answerMy Department has responsibility for the management, control, operation and development of each of the Fishery Harbour Centres under the Fishery Harbour Centres Act 1968 (as amended). Located at Killybegs, Rossaveal, Dingle, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth the harbours are a valuable and vital resource to the Irish fishing fleet, associated service providers and the marine leisure and tourism sector. Business opportunities in this sector are facilitated by ongoing infrastructural maintenance and development of the Fishery Harbour Centres, largely enabled via my Department’s annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme.
My Department has recently held public competitive tendering processes for vacant sites in three Fishery Harbour Centres namely Howth, Castletownbere and Killybegs and plans with regard to potential future uses for vacant properties at the Fishery Harbour Centres are kept under ongoing review by my Department. In addition, a targeted range of supports for the development of the seafood sector are available through An Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). Some of the schemes of particular relevance to seafood processing businesses wishing to expand and grow their business are the Seafood Processing Business Investment Scheme, Seafood Value Adding Scheme and the Graduate Placement Scheme. Grants of up to 30% of eligible investment costs are available under the Processing Scheme. I announced grant awards totalling €2.3 million under this Scheme in 2013. A budget of €3 million is available to BIM for this Scheme in 2014.
The Fisheries Local Area Development Scheme will also be of interest to small businesses or start-ups in the wider seafood economy. BIM administer this Scheme, while the six Fisheries Local Action Groups located around our coast select projects for funding. Grant support of up to 40% is available under this Scheme. Additional supports for small businesses are provided by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and the agencies under its aegis.
