Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when she will reintroduce the farm improvement scheme to allow farmers to increase their capacity as this scheme was a central element in IFA's agreement to participate in the social partnership agreement Towards 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28523/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Farm Improvement Scheme was launched by my Department in July 2007 with a funding provision of €79 million as agreed under the partnership agreement, Towards 2016. As applications under the Scheme have reached this level of funding, I have announced that the Scheme will close to new applications for now. The agreement provides for a review of its terms in 2008 which will provide an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes achieved in relation to its overall goals and to both refocus and reprioritise.