At the outset, I wish to clarify that each European Innovation Partnerships Initiative project is locally led, locally designed and locally administered and not managed directly by my Department. All projects are still in the early stages of design or implementation.
The first round of the EIP competitive process started in December 2016. Following a two stage selection process, twelve projects were chosen and these have now begun full implementation on the ground. They are still at design stage and none of these projects have invited expressions of interest from farmers yet.
The second call under this initiative issued in August 2017. Nine projects were selected for full implementation and the successful project teams were informed in late October 2018. Contracts with the selected project teams will be signed following workshops and individual meetings.
The Hen Harrier Programme, which is one of two Prescribed EIPs, commenced in April 2017 has received 1,845 applications. 1,683 of those are valid applications and 693 people have been offered contracts to date. Letters of Offer will commence again shortly and will continue into 2019. No farmer has withdrawn from the scheme.
The Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Project is the second Prescribed EIP and commenced in May 2018 and the project design is in progress. Farmer consultation meetings are on-going and expressions of interest will be sought from early 2019 onwards.
Details of the individual projects are shown in the following table. The amounts shown are for the full allocation to each project and all are still in early stages.
|
Project Team
|
Name of Project
|
Total Allocation
|
Amount expended to date in 2018
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MOPS (Maximising Organic Production Systems)
|
Maximising organic production through integratedcropping systems.
|
€597,417.46
|
€85,218
|
|
Irish Biochar Cooperative Society
|
Biomass to Biocarbon for Farm Bioeconomy
|
€998,397.00
|
0
|
|
Ovi Data
|
Increasing sheep genetic gain in Ireland throughcommercial data capture
|
€515,625.00
|
0
|
|
Caomhnú árann
|
Managing the habitats of the Aran Islands to maximisetheir agricultural and ecological output
|
€1,450,000
|
0
|
|
Wicklow Uplands Council
|
Sustainable Uplands Agri-Environment Scheme (SUAS)
|
€1,950,000
|
€99,278
|
|
ECT (Enable Conservation Tillage)
|
Wider adaptation of sustainable conservation tillagesystems
|
€1,000,000
|
0
|
|
Blackstairs Farming Futures
|
Delivering more for nature and sustainable farming inthe Blackstairs Mountains
|
€1,500,000
|
€31,227
|
|
Irish Breeding Curlew Conservation Group
|
Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying environment
|
€1,100,000
|
€38,771
|
|
BRIDE Project Group
|
Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying environment
|
€1,100,000
|
€62,283
|
|
Duncannon Sustainable Farming Association
|
Duncannon Sustainable Farming Scheme
|
€550,000
|
0
|
|
MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Forum
|
Conservation and restoration of Upland Habitats in theReeks
|
€950,000
|
€48,313
|
|
DANÚ Farming Group
|
Biological Farming Transition Programme
|
€400,000
|
0
|
|
Open Call 2 Projects
|
|
|
|
|
Mulkear Integrated Catchment Management Partnership
|
On farm technology transfer to enhance water quality in the Mulkear Catchment
|
€1,172,830
|
0
|
|
Biorefinery "Glas"
|
Small scale farmer-led green biorefineries
|
€940,498
|
0
|
|
Inishowen upland farmers
|
A whole farm approach to landscape management
|
€989,700
|
0
|
|
National Biodiversity Data Centre
|
Protecting Farmland Pollinators
|
€1,194,679
|
0
|
|
Lárionad Acmhainní Nádúrtha Ctr (LAN)
|
Culra Creafoige
|
€583,010
|
0
|
|
Rathcroghan Resource Community
|
Sustainable farming in the Rathcroghan Archaeological Landscape
|
€984,000
|
0
|
|
Small Biogas Demonstration Group
|
Small Biogas Demonstration Programme
|
€994,273
|
0
|
|
FORUM Connemara Operational Group
|
North West Connemara Locally Led Scheme
|
€1,424,284
|
0
|
|
River Allow Catchment Mangement Group
|
River Allow Catchment Management
|
€1,460,707
|
0
|
|
Other EIP Schemes
|
|
|
|
|
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel
|
Programme for the conservation of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel
|
€10,000,000
|
€256,362
|
|
Hen Harrier Project
|
Scheme for the conservation of the Hen Harrier
|
€25,000,000
|
€632,581 - 2018
€716,897 - 2017
|
