Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
937. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of the funding required to resource the proposals in the report of the Seafood Task Force that will be allocated from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund as opposed to the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund. [51205/21]
View answer938. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which the proposals in the report of the Seafood Task Force will be resourced after the sunset clause for the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund of 31 December 2023 is implemented. [51206/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 937 and 938 together.
The departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union and the related Trade and Cooperation Agreement have had some profoundly damaging effects for Ireland, not least for our fishing sector and the coastal communities that depend on fishing. Such a once in a generation event required a collective response involving the seafood businesses and coastal communities that are impacted and the full range of State bodies with a role to play in our response. For these reasons, I established a Seafood Sector Task Force in March 2021. In the terms of reference, I asked the Task Force to examine the implications of the TCA for fishing sector and coastal communities dependent upon it and to recommend initiatives for development and restructuring so as to ensure a profitable and sustainable fishing fleet and to identify opportunities for jobs and economic activity in coastal communities dependent on fishing.
On 11 October, I received the final report of the Task Force. The Report makes recommendations for a broad range of support schemes to assist the seafood sector and coastal communities to mitigate the impacts of the TCA, including temporary and permanent cessation schemes for the fishing sector, liquidity support schemes, capital investment schemes, marketing supports, marine infrastructure renewal and enhanced community led local development through the seven Fisheries Local Action Groups. Already, a Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme is in operation, as it had been recommended in an earlier Interim Report from the Task Force.
Many of the measures recommended in the report are recommended by the Task Force for funding under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) and others for funding under my Department's forthcoming Seafood Development Programme 2021-27. Measures to be funded under the BAR must be implemented by 31 December 2023 and are subject to State Aid approval, eligibility under the BAR and to available BAR funds in the context of the impacts of Brexit across our economy.
I am having the Final Report urgently examined with a view to quickly implementing a comprehensive response to the impacts of the TCA on our fishing sector and coastal communities. The measures recommended in the Task Force report will be examined with particular regard to available funds, eligibility of the measures for funding under the relevant EU Regulations, State Aid rules and the Public Spending Code.
