Inshore Fisheries
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Timmy Dooley (FF), Clare

I have met the National Inshore Fishermen's Association and other representatives of the inshore sector and I am aware of the challenges facing the inshore fisheries sector. I am taken by its resilience and capacity to manage through difficult times. I am fully aware of the concerns raised. However, Ireland's current €258 million Seafood Development Programme 2021-2027, which is co-funded by the Government and the European Commission under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, is the primary source of funding for the Irish commercial seafood sector. including the inshore sector.
The Department has reviewed all funding mechanisms available, either through the seafood development programme or other state aid routes to ascertain if there is a possibility of introducing a financial stabilisation scheme for inshore fishermen. Ireland, as an EU member state, is required to comply with the state aid regulations and the European Commission oversees the application of state aid rules among member states. Failure to comply with state aid rules, such as a failure to provide notification to the European Commission or implementing the aid without approval, can result in the member state being required to recover any aid provided. These rules also provide for added interest to be applied. Article 107(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union defines state aid as any aid granted by a member state, or through state resources in any form whatsoever, which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods. Articles 107(2) and 107(3) provide for exceptions where state aid can be compatible with the Internal Market, such as aid to promote regional economic development, as well as research and innovation. Most state aid has the potential to disrupt trade within the EU.
As the managing authority for the EMFAF programme in Ireland, there is a range of projects and industry supports to the inshore sector, provided by agencies of the Department under the programme. These include the small-scale coastal fisheries scheme; the inshore fisheries conservation scheme - the v-notching programme; the seafood training scheme; and the seafood capacity building scheme. In addition to these, a scheme specifically for the inshore fleet was implemented in 2024 and 2025 under the seafood development programme.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09