Agriculture Scheme Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 January 2015

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

Questions (128)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

128. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of direct payments paid each year to farmers under EU and national schemes from 2007 to 2014; the profiled amount to be paid to farmers in direct payments in each year from 2015 to 2020 in view of his recent statement that between now and 2020 there will be an effective increase in payments because of a very strong rural development programme, with increased expenditure each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3049/15]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Total Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 direct payments to farmers by my Department over the last eight years are outlined in the table.

2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014 (est)
€m	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m	€m
1,995.3	2,067.3	1,997.2	1,798.9	1,968.0	1,862.0	1,723.0	1,710.4

Source: DAFM

The initial estimate for 2015 is €1,735m; EU funding of €2.19bn is available for RDP measures over the period to 2020. The Government’s continuing commitment to strategic investment in the agri-food sector and the rural economy is evidenced by the provision of National Exchequer funding to bring the total allocation for the new RDP to some €4 billion. The profile of expenditure under the new RDP will increase over the course of 2014-2020 as farmers join the new schemes. The approval of the draft RDP is currently the subject of ongoing negotiation with the EU Commission, and is being pursued as a matter of priority by my Department. Once approved, expenditure for RDP schemes will be subject to the normal annual budgetary process in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.