Jim O'Keeffe
Ceist:17 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for the Marine the proposals, if any, he has to make additional funding available to help to renew and update our sea fishing fleet much of which is 20 to 30 years old.
Written Answers. - Additional Funding for Fishing Fleet.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:25 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for the Marine the plans, if any, he has for the expansion of the fishing industry with particular reference to increasing the tonnage of the Irish fishing fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 25 together.
The objectives for the Irish fishing fleet are established under the terms of the Multi-Annual Guidance Programme, or MAGP, which covers the period 1992-96 and which was agreed last year in Brussels after lengthy negotiations. The agreement reached represents an extremely successful outcome for the Irish negotiators and has effectively reversed a previous Commission proposal which was to reduce our fishing fleet to around 35,000 GRT. The objective for the Irish fleet at the end of this MAGP period, in 1996, is now 51,195 GRT, with some scope for increasing to 54,195 GRT.
Under the terms of this programme, we have already moved to develop the fleet in line with available quotas. The whitefish sector, which is the area offering greatest potential, is being enlarged substantially by the new entry of some 14 all-weather vessels, targeting offshore stocks of prime whitefish. Another six such vessels are expected to enter the fleet this year. We now need to move to consolidate our achievements and in this regard the renewal and modernisation of our fleet is of crucial importance. To this end, grants will continue to be made available under BIM's marine credit plan for work of this nature at the appropriate levels required to trigger Community funding under the FEOP aid schemes and within the constraints presented by the current economic climate.
In conclusion, I should point out that all fleet policy instruments are currently being reviewed in the light of the recent agreement on the MAGP.