Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2022
775. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will introduce the tie-up scheme for boats struggling to make ends meet due to the recent increase in the cost of diesel fuel; when the other proposals that he has planned to support fishers will be introduced; if he will consider an income support scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24841/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra776. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there are plans to introduce a de-commissioning scheme for fishers in parallel with a tie-up scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24842/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra779. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will announce the decommissioning scheme for boats in the Irish fishing industry from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund that was announced almost one year ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24874/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra780. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will announce the next tie-up scheme for boats in the Irish fishing industry from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund particularly in view of high fuel costs due to the global energy crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24875/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 775, 776, 779 and 780 together.
On 11 May, I was pleased to announce a €24 million voluntary Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme for the polyvalent and beam trawl fleets. The scheme delivers on a recommendation of the 'Report of the Seafood Task Force – ‘Navigating Change’ (October 2021) and is proposed for funding under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve. The new scheme will help mitigate the impacts of quota cuts for 2022 arising from the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement and is an interim measure pending the voluntary decommissioning scheme also recommended by the Task Force. The purpose of the scheme is to enable a reduction in quota uptake in 2022 so as to improve quota availability for the fleet overall throughout the remainder of the year.
In light of the further quota cuts taking effect in 2022, I have modified the scheme compared to 2021, so that vessel owners can, if they wish, choose to tie-up for up to two calendar months. This enhanced tie up opportunity will free up additional quota for those vessels continuing to fish, supporting viability in the wider fleet in these challenging times. Payment rates will be the same as for the 2021 scheme. Vessel owners participating in the 2022 scheme will again be required to distribute one third of that payment to crew. The scheme will initially be expected to operate over the period June to October, but I will be asking the European Commission to amend the approval of the scheme to encompass November so as to provide for an additional August/November tie up option.
Since the publication of the Report of the Seafood Task Force, I have implemented a number of its recommendations. Over October to December 2021 I implemented the voluntary Tie-up scheme recommended in the interim report. In January, I launched two of the recommended initiatives for the inshore fisheries sector - a Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Scheme and an Brexit Inshore Marketing Scheme, both designed to assist inshore fishers adjust to the impacts of Brexit. The Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Scheme attracted almost one thousand applications from inshore fishers. Also in January, I announced the launch of a €35 million Brexit Adjustment Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme, designed to help drive economic regeneration and diversification in our coastal communities by renewing the many piers and harbours around our coast that are central to the activities of many small businesses in our blue economy. In March, I announced a €25 million Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme that will make available grants of up to €200,000 to those many blue economy enterprises. Finally, on 12 May I announced a €45 million Brexit Seafood Processing Capital Support Scheme to drive transformational change in our processing sector, fostering greater value adding to the reduced quotas available.
In relation voluntary decommissioning, the report of the Task Force recommended a voluntary scheme to take out up to 60 vessels from our whitefish fleet at a cost of €59 million, in order to adjust our fleet capacity to the reduced quotas available arising from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. A proposal for such a scheme is presently with the European Commission for its consideration of the scheme in terms of State Aid rules. Subject to State Aid approval I would anticipate a voluntary decommissioning scheme opening for applications in the Summer. A number of other recommended schemes are also awaiting State Aid approval.
