Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2066. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will move to include scallop fishers in the Brexit support scheme given the myriad of challenges currently facing the scallop fishing sector which could see many leave the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39828/22]
View answerThe Report of the Seafood Task Force – Navigating Change (October 2021) recommended 16 support schemes at an estimated cost of €423 million, collectively designed to address the impacts of Brexit and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on our seafood sector and coastal communities.
Given the large number of recommendations and the work required to examine each from the perspective of funding available, eligibility under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve Regulation, State Aid rules, and the Public Spending code, the Task Force recommended that its 16 recommended schemes be considered on a phased and prioritised basis.
As part of its work, the Seafood Task Force considered the impact on scallop vessels from the UK's withdrawal from the EU, noting that this is not directly related to the TCA. The Task Force particularly identified that a proposed liquidity scheme for the sector could explored, recommending that it first should be fully assessed from a legal perspective, for compliance with the public expenditure code and against the EU BAR State Aid Guidelines for the fishery and aquaculture sector. As such, the evaluation of such a scheme is actively ongoing and development will continue at pace over the summer months, subject to the above regulatory criteria.
