Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
340. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the consideration he is giving to providing further and substantial assistance to the oyster shell fish industry in view of the collapse of the market for oysters due to Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4818/21]
View answerThroughout the Covid-19 Pandemic, Government has made available financial and other supports for employees and businesses negatively impacted by the Pandemic. Both the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Employment Wage Subsidy Schemes have supported the incomes of employees and the self-employed in our seafood sector and I am aware that many aquaculture enterprises availed of these Government payments during earlier phases of market disruption. Government has also made available low-cost loans to seafood businesses for working capital and other purposes.
My Department's €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme 2014-2020 is the principal source of public funding for the sustainable development of our fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors. The Programme is delivered through a range of support schemes providing supports for capital investment, innovation, advisory services, marketing, training, stock conservation and protection of marine biodiversity. These support schemes have continued throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic and take-up of grants has remained strong. The Programme is now nearing its end, with funds already mostly committed through grant offers and I anticipate that the Programme will finish in 2021. My Department is working to develop a new Seafood Development Programme for the 2021-27 period.
On 22 October 2020, I announced a Covid 19 Aquaculture Support Scheme under my Department's EMFF Programme, designed to compensate oyster and rope mussel producers for lost sales and production arising from the Pandemic. The Scheme was administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and closed in November, with 181 aquaculture enterprises applying. Payments to 142 successful applicants were processed by BIM in December, with processing of another 19 ongoing. Payments ranged from €6,800 to €16,300 for oyster producers, depending on their production levels in previous years, and for rope mussel producers €1,300 to €9,000. I anticipate that the final cost of the Scheme will be approximately €1.25 million.
As the Pandemic continues, and its impacts on markets continue to evolve and change, I am keeping it under review in the context of the range of horizontal supports that have been put in place by Government .
