Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the amount of funding that has been received from the EU under the Modulation Programme; what has happened to this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24840/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Modulated funds of €225.5m are an integral part of the overall funding available for Ireland's 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme. The total funding for this programme amounts to €5.778bn from three sources: EU co-funding €2.114bn, Modulation €0.225bn, and Exchequer €3.439bn. The programme addresses three priorities, competitiveness, the environment and the wider rural economy, and encompasses the following main measures: REPS, compensatory allowances, early retirement, installation aid, and farm modernisation. The funding provided for these farmer payment schemes took full account of the amount available from modulation and was agreed with the farm organisations in the social partnership agreement. The Programme was approved by the EU Commission in July of this year.

It should be noted that the Rural Development Programme includes only those measures that are co-funded by the EU. The National Development Plan includes additional measures which are funded entirely by the Exchequer. The total value of the NDP agri-food package is €8.7 billion.