Six-week ‘mission impossible’ grant deadline criticised

EARMARKED recipients for €1.75 million in capital grants for seafood processing and aquaculture projects have said that being given six weeks in which to order, purchase and install new equipment is too tight a timeframe.

The intended grantees have welcomed the allocation of funds. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food yesterday announced the €1.13m in grant aid for capital projects by Irish seafood processing companies (covering 25% of total capital cost) and €623,620 for aquaculture companies (covering 40%) under the two funds. The project must be completed by the end of October, ready for auditing and inspection by November 1.

The money will part-fund the purchase of new equipment, raising production standards and volumes, and in some cases opening up new export markets.