Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 May 2010
68 Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of applications that were received and the number accepted under the bioenergy scheme 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22055/10]
View answer98 Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to Parliamentary Question No. 18 of 11 March 2010, if he will report on the progress of the bioenergy scheme which was launched by his Department in February 2010 and replaced the pilot scheme which ran from 2007 to 2009; the number of applications and the amount of grant aid allocated to date to farmers growing miscanthus and willow; the targets and goals of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22006/10]
View answer99 Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of applications that were received and the number accepted under the bioenergy scheme 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22010/10]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 98 and 99 together.
The 2010 Bioenergy Scheme was announced in February 2010 to build on progress made during the pilot phase which ran from 2007-2009. The new Scheme will support miscanthus and willow cultivation to the end of 2010. Under the terms of the new 2010 Bioenergy Scheme, farmers can avail of establishment grants worth €1,300 per hectare to cover 50% of the cost of establishment.
The closing date for receipt of applications under the 2010 Scheme was 31st March 2010. At the closing date, 91 applications had been received, with 53 applicants seeking approval for a total of 477 hectares of miscanthus and 38 applicants seeking approval for a total of 390 hectares of willow. To date, approval has been granted to 63 farmers — 32 to plant approximately 260 hectares of miscanthus and 31 to plant approximately 340 hectares of willow. There are a further 11 cases — 6 applicants for a total of 74 hectares of miscanthus and 5 applicants for a total of 33 hectares of willow, with issues to be resolved prior to approval being granted.
Of the original 91 applicants, 16 have withdrawn their applications, while one applicant was refused as they did not satisfy the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme. Successful applicants under the 2010 scheme will be entitled to their first instalment payment of 75% of the establishment grant from autumn 2010 following the successful establishment of the crop. The pilot Scheme which ran from 2007-2009 supported 364 farmers in the planting of some 2,500 hectares (2,100 miscanthus and 360 willow) to the end of 2009 at a cost of some €2.9 million.
The focus of the Bioenergy Scheme continues to be on supporting the increased production of miscanthus and willow in Ireland. The benefits of this action include increasing the supply of bioenergy crops to meet Government targets and policies in the bioenergy and non-food crop sector, contributing to the reduction in GHG emissions, and providing farmers with additional income streams.
