Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 March 2015
373. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the financial allocations in his Department's Estimates for 2015 by total European Union spend and by national spend, under the various elements of the rural development plan 2014-20; the dates it is expected to commence each element of the rural development plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11783/15]
View answerThe Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014-2020 will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. EU Regulation No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for Rural Development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) sets out the breakdown of EU support for rural development for each Member State for the years 2014 – 2020. Ireland's total EAFRD allocation for rural development is some €2.19 billion (or some €313 million per annum), as agreed at the EU Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) negotiations in 2013. EU funding amounts are combined with national co-funding to provide for each Member State's RDP.
The MFF is subject to a formal amendment process at EU level for RDPs approved in 2015. However, the average amount of EU support per annum remains the same. It has been agreed that a letter of comfort will issue to Member States who have informally agreed their RDP with the Commission in 2015 but where formal adoption of the RDP will be delayed by amendments to the MFF.
Detailed discussions and intensive negotiations have been ongoing between my Department and the Commission in order to secure agreement on the new RDP. Ireland's draft RDP has now been formally resubmitted to the EU Commission where it will undergo the Commission's final inter-services consultation. When this process is complete, the schemes and supports contained in Ireland's RDP will be rolled out in line with the annual budgetary process.
In relation to 2015, the following amounts are included in my Department's estimate for RDP schemes.
|
Scheme |
2015 Estimate allocations (€m) |
|
Areas Of Natural Constraint (ANC) |
195 |
|
Agri- Environmental Schemes (including transitional expenditure on REPS and AEOS) |
149 |
|
Beef Data & Genomics Programme |
52 |
|
Targeted Agricultural Measures (TAMS) |
34 |
|
Early Retirement Scheme |
8 |
|
Technical assistance |
1 |
|
Total |
439 |
The above figures include allocations for expenditure in relation to The Early Retirement Scheme and TAMS in 2015 which will be funded under the 2007 – 2013 Programme. The standard co-financing rate applied to the measures in the draft RDP is 53%, with higher rates of 56% applied to expenditure under Measure 10 (Agri-Environment and Climate) and 65% applied to Measure 19 (LEADER) which is delivered via the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. The actual rate of drawdown over the period may vary as the financial plan is subject to ongoing management and review.
