Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
491. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the financial supports in place for inshore fishers in 2024; the measures he expects to put in place in 2025; if any replacement funding is in place after the end of the Brexit Adjustment Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22869/24]
View answerThe primary source of funding for the seafood sector in Ireland is the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) (2021-2027). EMFAF has a budget allocation of €258 million over the lifetime of the programme.
Funding supports are currently available to inshore fishers under the Fleet Safety Scheme and the Seafood Training Scheme, both administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
My Department has been working with BIM to progress a number of funding schemes under EMFAF, including a scheme for inshore fishers. The Inshore Fisheries Scheme has been finalised and has been circulated to the EMFAF Monitoring Committee for adoption. Once it is adopted, the scheme will be implemented by BIM.
This scheme will offer enhanced grant aid rates of between 80% and 100% for onboard and onshore investment by Small Scale Coastal Fishers (SSCF). It will also provide funding to inshore fishers for participation in inshore fisheries conservation measures.
Non-SSCF inshore fishers will have access to grant aid to fund onboard investment under the Sustainable Fisheries Scheme, which is also currently with the EMFAF Monitoring Committee for adoption.
In addition to the Inshore Fisheries Scheme, the Seafood Training Scheme and the Sustainable Fisheries Scheme mentioned above, inshore fishers will have access to a number of EMFAF schemes which are also with the Monitoring Committee for adoption such as:
the Young Fishers Scheme, which provides assistance for people under 40 years of age to purchase their first vessel
the Knowledge Gateway Scheme which supports research activities, and provides for industry involvement in same
the Capacity Building Scheme which supports the dissemination of relevant information to industry and the attendance of industry stakeholders at relevant events
The schemes currently with the Monitoring Committee for adoption will be implemented in 2024 and will be in place in 2025. They will likely remain in place until the end of the EMFAF programme period in 2027. Likewise I anticipate that the Fleet Safety Scheme, which is provided outside of the EMFAF programme, will remain in place in coming years.
