Michael Cahill
Question:744. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps his Department is taking to ensure that fish caught in Irish waters are processed in Ireland. [66285/25]
View answerTuesday, 25 November 2025
Questions (744)
Written answers
It is a matter for individual operators to decide on where to land their catches, taking into account market factors and considerations in relation to weather, sea conditions and safety. Furthermore, Irish seafood processers compete for raw material with their counterparts in other EU countries, and this includes competing on price with processors in other countries for EU landings. It is a matter for processors to make commercial decisions as to the price they are prepared to offer for raw material landed into Ireland.
Notwithstanding, my Department has implemented a number of measures to promote landing of fish into Ireland.
This includes investments in the Department's network of six Fishery Harbour Centres to bring them up to best international standards. My Department administers the annual Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme consistent with the objectives of the National Development Plan. The strategic objective of the Programme is to contribute to, from an infrastructure perspective, the future viability of the fishing industry and the sustainability of our coastal communities.
Since 2020, over €138.5 million has been invested in capital works in the Fishery Harbour Centres, Cape Clear and the piers lights and beacons; delivering key projects such as the Dinish Wharf Expansion and Breakwaters at Castletownbere, the Middle Pier at Howth and the Smooth Point Pier Extension at Killybegs.
In March this year, I announced a capital investment package of €23.4 million as part of the 2025 Programme. The allocation included capital commitments for ongoing projects and the commencement of some new projects.
The seafood processing sector has also had significant funding supports for capital investment projects in recent years, in particular under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Ireland now has one of the most modern seafood processing sectors in Europe, and this investment was designed to support measures to reduce operating costs through improved energy and production efficiencies, and new product development designed to add higher value, all with a view to improving their profitability and sustainability.