Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2015
102. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he will take to ensure that the funding for mushroom producer groups for the years 2015 to 2017, inclusive, which is payable from the European Union, is immediately made available to mushroom producers, particularly in the context of the recent submission made on their behalf by the Irish Farmers Association; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7402/15]
View answerThere are no mushroom producer groups recognised in Ireland.
There is one mushroom producer organisation recognised in Ireland for the purposes of the EU Scheme of Aid for Producer Organisations in the Fruit and Vegetable Sector.
This scheme provides for payment of EU aid to recognised producer organisations to implement multi-annual operational programmes, approved in advance by the Department. Payment of EU aid is made annually in arrears by my Department, subject to the producer organisation carrying out the approved operational programme, to their continued compliance with recognition criteria and following completion of all required checks by my Department.
In relation to their 2015-2017 operational programme, the Department issued, on 20 January 2015, the budgets approved for each year to the mushroom producer organisation, based on the application submitted in October 2014. The budget for each of these years is the maximum budget that could be approved having regard to the application submitted.
The producer organisation recently confirmed their acceptance of the approved budgets for 2015, 2016 and 2017, as notified by my Department.
