Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2021
376. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 285 of 27 May 2021, the expected or planned for number of applicants to his Department in new agri-environmental schemes under both pillar 1 and pillar 2 funding in the next CAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35160/21]
View answerThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and associated regulations have been the subject of intensive negotiations between the European Parliament and the Presidency and Commission, and latterly the Council of Ministers.
With reference to agri-environmental schemes, the draft CAP Strategic Plan currently makes provision for a range of agri-environmental measures including eco-schemes under Pillar I and agri-environment climate measures under Pillar 2. As it is proposed that both the eco-scheme and the agri-environment climate measures will be voluntary, the eventual level of application will depend on a number of factors such as the options offered, whether appropriate to or suitable for a farmer’s land and/or farming system, ease of implementation, and the associated payment rates.
At a national level, the numbers for approval into the scheme will be determined by the overall budgetary allocation to Ireland under the Common Agricultural Policy and the number and duration of interventions, and associated budgetary requirements, to be funded from that allocation.
The Department is continuing to develop the CAP Strategic Plan in consultation with stakeholders through the CAP Consultative Committee and other forums. Details of the discussions to date in the CAP Consultative Committee are available on the website www.gov.ie/en/collection/ab894-cap-post-2020-consultative-committee/.
Consideration is currently being given to the range of measures that will be supported under the new CAP Strategic Plan, and stakeholders will be further consulted on this shortly. Following the consultation the draft plan will then be subject to strategic environmental assessment and ex-ante evaluation and a further public consultation process before submission to the Commission by the deadline of 1st January 2022.
Ultimately, I want as many farmers in these schemes as possible.
