Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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486. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department can provide any form of funding, one-off or recurring, to an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29778/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Social farming is the practice of offering, on a voluntary basis, farming and horticultural participation in a farming environment as a choice to people who avail of a range of therapeutic day support services. These operations are run in a number of settings ranging from working family farms, local community initiatives through to more institutional frameworks.

Funding is available under my Department's Rural Innovation & Development Fund for Social Farming Model Projects. There are currently four projects being funded under contract following a competitive procurement process in 2021. It is anticipated that the next request for tenders will issue at the end of 2025/early 2026.