Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 April 2018
196. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity of fodder imported under the import scheme in 2018; and the way in which this compares with a similar scheme in 2013. [18536/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI introduced the Fodder Import Support Measure on 5 April 2018 to provide an additional source of fodder to livestock farmers at an important time when supplies of fodder nationally were very tight. The Measure will make a financial contribution towards the transport costs associated with the importation of fodder from other Member States, excluding Northern Ireland. The closing date for the Measure is Monday 30 April 2018. Information on the quantity of fodder imported will only be available when processing of applications is completed. A maximum amount of €1.5 million was made available to fund the Measure which should support the importation of up to 20,000 tonnes of fodder into the country. With the recent good spell of weather grass growth has improved dramatically and it is envisaged that the Measure will have achieved its purpose by the closing date and within its budgetary allocation.
By way of information, the Fodder Import Transport Scheme that operated in 2013 was introduced on 15 April 2013 and ran until end of May. A total of €2.8 million issued to 18,000 beneficiaries under the scheme covering approximately 40,000 tonnes of imported fodder at that time.
