A new €25 million government scheme has been launched to support Ireland’s coastal communities post-Brexit.
Administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Brexit Blue Economy Enterprise Development Scheme is officially open for applications for grants to enable communities within 10km of the coastline to restructure, retrain and diversify.
In Ireland, 1.9 million people live within 5km of the coast. “The seafood sector is an important contributor to Ireland’s coastal communities and combined with other blue economy activities, gives Ireland’s coastal communities a unique and rich heritage,” said Jim O’Toole, BIM’s chief executive.
“This new scheme will help these communities adapt to new market realities in the post-Brexit landscape by stimulating further growth of the blue economy.”
The scheme is one of the recommendations of the Seafood Sector Taskforce, established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. in March 2021 to mitigate against the impacts of Brexit. It will be delivered through the existing Fisheries Local Action Groups.
Said to be the largest of its kind, the scheme will run during 2022 and 2023 and is funded under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve. Grants of up to €200,000 are available and can be used to cover capital investment projects, along with mentoring and training.
