Vol. 397 No. 2
5 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Marine if he will make a statement on the number of grants which have been given to salmon and trout fish farming from 1979 to 1989 by his Department or any of the semi-State bodies under his control; and the amount involved in each grant.
(Limerick West): My Department do not directly grant-aid the aquaculture industry. Grants are provided by BIM in non-Gaeltacht areas and by Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas. Grants are also available from the European Community.
The purpose of these grant schemes has been and remains the promotion of the development of the aquaculture sector with a view to creating employment and growth, particularly in regions where other opportunities are limited.
The number of grants paid by BIM to salmon and trout farming projects in the period 1979 to 1989 is 55, totalling £1,852,585. It is not BIM practice to publish details of grant aid to individual projects. Údarás na Gaeltachta grant aided projects at a total of £4,148,061 over the same period. Grants by the European Community to the sector through the FEOGA programme in 1989 alone was over £1.5 million.
This policy has, to date, been highly successful in meeting the objectives and targets for the Irish finfish industry and Irish aquaculture development as a whole. Total employment has now reached 2,100 jobs and output has grown to a value of £30 million. It is planned to increase employment to 3,500 by end 1991 and to bring output to over £70 million.
The return to the State on investment in an industry can usefully be expressed as gross value added per State pound invested. An ESRI study published in 1988 reveals a return for aquaculture of £2.80 per pound invested. This is four times better than the average for indigenous industry. The comparative cost per job in fish farming is also appreciably lower. The ESRI report concluded that compared with other sectors State investment in fish farming is very productive.
Will the Minister agree that, in view of the very wide disquiet throughout the country, the very least the Government and State-sponsored bodies like BIM and Údarás na Gaeltachta can do is to stop paying grants to this industry which is a potentially very damaging one? Will he further agree that employment gains in this industry — which have been substantial — may very well be illusory and may affect employment prospects in the shellfish industry and in tourism?
(Limerick West): I do not accept that there are widespread objections to this industry. It is a matter for BIM and Údarás na Gaeltachta to decide which applications they accept or reject.
I am amazed that the Minister is unaware of widespread objections. I propose writing to the Minister in the next few days with details of objections from around the country.
I am concerned at one aspect of the Minister's reply, that BIM do not supply details of the individual grants paid. That is out of line with, for example, the policy of the IDA who provide details of individual grants paid to industry. Is the Minister concerned that almost £2 million of public money has been paid out by BIM but that the details of the recipients have not been made available? Will he take steps to instruct BIM to make that information available so that they can be publicly accountable, ultimately to this House, for the public moneys paid out in grant-aid?
(Limerick West): Yes, I will discuss that with BIM.
