Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
501. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total amount of funding expended by his Department under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund for the years 2021 to 2023, disaggregated by the year funding was expended and scheme title of eligible measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6432/24]
View answerIn the years 2021 to 2023 funding of over €216 million for the seafood sector was provided under the schemes which were put in place following the report of the Seafood Task Force, and funded under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Schemes were also in place during that period, funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). As such, the implementation of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) during 2021 - 2023 has focused predominantly on ensuring continued support for the work programmes of the marine agencies (Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Marine Institute and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA)) and Bord Bia.
This has been done by means of a process whereby the agencies submit applications to my Department for approval in principle. It is intended to progress the finalisation of implementation plans for all of these work programmes, and their adoption by the EMFAF programme Monitoring Committee, over the coming months. Work is also underway now to finalise implementation plans for schemes to support industry, and we expect that the first number of such schemes will be in place in the first quarter of 2024, with further schemes to follow.
Approximately €25,834,603 has been spent under EMFAF between 2021 and 2023 on the basis outlined above, however this does not include funding for the Data Control Framework work programme managed by the Marine Institute as some of this work programme will be funded under European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF), and the work to finalise the breakdown of costs across both programmes is not yet completed.
