Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 February 2022
912. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if funding was withheld from Ireland by the European Union until SI. No. 318/2020 was signed; if so, if he will clarify the level of funding that was withheld; if the funding has been released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10006/22]
View answerMy Department’s €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme 2014-20 is the framework programme for the sustainable development of our seafood sector. The Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
The EMFF Regulation (508/2014) and Common Provisions Regulation (1303/2013) specify the regulatory framework for Member State EMFF Programmes and for EU co-funding of those Programmes. These include a number of ex-ante conditionalities that were required to be satisfied before the Commission would adopt the relevant Programme. At the time of the adoption of Ireland’s EMFF Programme in December 2015, Ireland was not in compliance with one ex-ante conditionality relating to the administrative capacity to apply the point system for serious infringements, as provided for in Article 92 of the EU Control Regulation (1224/2009).
Adoption of Ireland’s Programme by the Commission in December 2015 was conditional on Ireland putting in place the necessary legal and administrative systems to implement the points system within an agreed timeframe, namely 30 June 2016. As the necessary legislation was not enacted within this timeframe, the Commission subsequently adopted an Implementing Decision on 12 June 2018 to suspend interim payments to Ireland under the Programme in respect of Ireland’s investment in control and enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy. As investment in control and enforcement has progressed over the course of the Programme, Ireland has lodged related interim payment claims worth €24.4 million with the Commission and payment of these funds has duly been suspended by the Commission in accordance with its 2018 Implementing Decision. A further claim due to be lodged shortly may increase this figure to close to €30 million. Investment remains ongoing and thus the EU funds suspended will ultimately reach the full EMFF allocation to Ireland for control and enforcement of €37.2 million, unless the non-compliance is resolved. Once Ireland has enacted the necessary legislation and put in place the related administrative procedures and resources, the Commission is then required to lift the suspension of payments.
The European Union (Common Fisheries Policy)(Point System) Regulations (SI No 318/2020) were signed into law in August 2020. These Regulations adopt the requirements of the governing EU Regulations and establish a points system for sea fishing boat licence holders when a serious infringement of the rules of the common fisheries policy is detected within the exclusive fishery limits of the State or for an Irish vessel wherever it may be. These Regulations partly address the reasons for the suspension. Separately, the Sea Fisheries (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021, currently before the Oireachtas, also adopts the requirements of the governing EU regulations and in that regard provides for a system of registration and assignment of points to masters of sea fishing boats who are Irish citizens. The enactment of this Bill and its subsequent administrative implementation will facilitate this issue being fully and finally resolved and the related funds released to Ireland.
