Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 February 2022
332. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a scheme or schemes will become operational to allow for access to the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to help counter the adverse economic and social consequences of Brexit in the European Union member states, specifically in relation to the fish processing sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8896/22]
View answerI established a Seafood Sector Task Force in March 2021 to examine the impacts on our fishing sector and coastal communities of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom and to make recommendations to me on initiatives that could be taken to provide supports 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.
I received the Report of the Seafood Task Force – Navigating Change on 11th October 2021 and it recommends a suite of 16 support schemes at a total cost of €423 million. The report includes a recommendation for a capital investment scheme for seafood processing to mitigate the significant loss of raw material supply because of the TCA quota cuts and Brexit impacts on traditional imports of raw material from the UK.
The recommendations of the Task Force are being urgently examined across Government with regard to available funds, eligibility of the recommended measures for funding under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve and with regard to State Aid rules and the Public Spending Code. This is a complex process and is being undertaken with all due haste and on a phased and prioritised basis as recommended by the Task Force. I am very conscious of the tight timeframe for supports under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
