Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 20:

In page 36, to delete lines 19 and 20.

I believe this to be largely a technical or cleaning-up amendment. As Deputies who addressed this Bill on Committee Stage will recall, there was a commencement provision included in section 28 to allow for state aid approval for the extension of the scheme as it comes under the agricultural block exemption regulation. The commencement provision is no longer required as the necessary consent from the European Commission for the extension of the measure has now been received. Therefore, this amendment removes the commencement provision because it is no longer required. The extension of scheme will now take effect from 1 January 2026.

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