FLAG South

Local Development Strategy

View FLAG South Local Development Strategy

The FLAG South area comprises the coastal zone of County Cork, as well as inhabited islands including the Gaeltacht area – Oileán Chléire. The FLAG region encompasses a total population of 120,584, covering 20.6% of County Cork’s population within 10km of the coastline. 

Cork demonstrates strong fishing connections with major harbours, including Castletownbere, which is the largest whitefish port in Ireland, Cobh, Ballycotton, Kinsale and Union Hall. Overall, the FLAG South area recorded a value of €152.5 million in fish landings in 2022, whilst the aquaculture sector generated a sales value of €9.3 million. An estimated 3.3% of all coastal employment in FLAG South was in direct seafood employment, with a further 6.4% being in downstream seafood employment. On average seafood processing companies in FLAG South employed the largest number of persons per company, across all seven FLAG regions. Fishing and tourism activities occur at a relatively large number of smaller harbours and piers along the coastline. 

The strategy describes the economy and community which FLAG South seeks to build, with the ambition to further improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of coastal communities in the FLAG South area. This is in line with the strategy vision: 

“FLAG South supports sustainable fishing and aquaculture coastal communities’ initiatives, prioritising Small Scale Coastal Fisheries and supporting blue economy enterprises and tourism.” 

This can be delivered through the following actions: 

• Diversify and enhance the income of individuals dependant on seafood and the blue economy in the coastal community  

• Identify innovations that can lead to a transition towards smarter growth in coastal area   

• Develop and promote niche tourism  

• Build capacity to develop greater co-operation between all relevant stakeholders in coastal communities

• Support community involvement in the management of Ireland’s coastal resource to sustain its physical character and environmental quality

• Actions to protect and promote the sense of place and culture and the quality, character and distinctiveness of the Irish coastal communities. 

To achieve these actions FLAG South has selected the following areas of activity priority:

For this targeted call FLAG South have implemented the following grant aid caps and restrictions per application:

FLAG South (Cork)  

FLAG South additional specific ineligible items :

• Playgrounds
• Outboard engines, for any vessel or organisation
• Investments by field sports organisations at any level
• Any applicant who has previously received grant aid for specific capital expenditure items will not receive repeat grant aid for more of those same items. For example (but not limited to) kayaks, food trucks, ribs, lifejackets, wetsuits, etc.