Rural Development Programme Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2019

Wednesday, 18 September 2019

Questions (168)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

168. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the transaction costs built into 2014-2020 RDP schemes and the way in which they operate (details supplied); the detail of each scheme operating in the 2014-2020 RDP that has a transaction cost built in in tabular form; the transaction costs for each RDP scheme in percentage terms; the additional payment available to eligible participants if a scheme measure is difficult to implement; and the maximum transaction costs permitted for RDP schemes as set down under current EU CAP regulations. [37804/19]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Irish Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (RDP) is governed by Regulation (EU) 1305/2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Transaction costs are defined herein as:

 Article 2.1.e

"transaction cost" means an additional cost linked to fulfilling a commitment, but not directly attributable to its implementation or not included in the costs or income foregone that are compensated directly; and which can be calculated on a standard cost basis;

Article 28, Agri-Environment and Climate, specifies how transaction costs are to be addressed under such schemes:

 Article 28.6

Payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate beneficiaries for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments made. Where necessary, they may also cover transaction costs up to a value of 20 % of the premium paid for the agri-environment-climate commitments. Where commitments are undertaken by groups of farmers or groups of farmers and other land managers, the maximum level shall be 30 %.

Article 29, Organic Farming, specifies how they are to be addressed under those schemes:

Article 29.4

Payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate beneficiaries for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitments made. Where necessary they may also cover transaction costs to a value of up to 20 % of the premium paid for the commitments. Where commitments are undertaken by groups of farmers, the maximum level shall be 30 %.

Finally, Article 33, Animal Welfare, specifies how they are treated under those schemes

Article 33.3

The payments shall be granted annually and shall compensate farmers for all or part of the additional costs and income foregone resulting from the commitment made. Where necessary, they may also cover transaction costs to the value of up to 20 % of the premium paid for the animal welfare commitments.

Further detail on individual schemes is provided in the link below as requested.

Schemes available