merrion street

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D. today launched the Local Development Strategies for the 7 Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) established under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme and announced the first call for applications for the €12 million FLAG funding available.

Minister Creed said: “I am delighted to announce the publication of the new Local Development Strategies for our 7 FLAGs. These Strategies will guide the FLAGs in best using the €12 million funding available to them under the EMFF Operational Programme. The Strategies will promote and support innovative projects in their regions that foster economic growth and jobs, by adding value to seafood products and diversifying the local economies of these coastal areas towards new economic activities, particularly in the broader maritime sector. These new Strategies have been developed by the 7 FLAGs over the course of 2016 and are the culmination of much analysis and consultation on the needs of their coastal regions and of their potential opportunities for growth and development.”

Minister Creed added: “I am also delighted to announce that the 7 FLAGs are now inviting applications within their regions to fund projects that contribute to the objectives of their Local Development Strategy. I have made available €2.4 million to Bord Iascaigh Mhara in 2017, and this will be dispersed in full to the projects selected by the FLAGs in 2017 for support. Overall, €12 million will be available over the course of the EMFF Programme.”

Funding under the FLAG Scheme Contributes to the Action Plan for Rural Development.

Note for Editors
The EMFF Operational Programme was launched in January 2016. The Programme provides €240m in funding to the seafood sector (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing) over the period 2014 to 2020. The Programme is co-funded by the Exchequer and the EU.
Following an Expression of Interest Process in early 2016, Minister Creed announced the 7 successful FLAG groups on 30 August 2016. The FLAGs initiative is similar to LEADER under the Rural Development Programme, but this EMFF initiative focuses development funding specifically on coastal fisheries and aquaculture areas.
On 1 November 2016, Minister Creed announced the allocation of EMFF funding to the 7 FLAGS as follows:

FLAG Name Coastal areas of County EMFF Allocation
South West FLAG Kerry €1.53 m
West FLAG Galway, Clare €1.80 m
Northwest FLAG Mayo, Sligo €1.50 m
North FLAG Donegal €1.95 m
South FLAG Cork €1.98 m
Northeast FLAG Louth, Meath, Dublin €1.56 m
Southeast FLAG Wicklow, Wexford, Waterford €1.68 m
TOTAL €12 m

FLAGs will award grants to local actors in their respective areas consistent with their respective FLAG Local Development Strategies.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Seafood Development Agency, assists FLAGs to deliver this programme through administering supports via grant-aid, training and on the ground facilitation, with dedicated regional FLAG coordinators in each region. The FLAG boards consider all applications for support and select projects for funding.