Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the €17 million in modulation funds to come available in 2009 to 2010 will be targeted toward mountain areas in view of the fact that ewe numbers have fallen from 4.75 to 2.7 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4904/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Health Check agreement modulation funds of approximately €120m will be allocated to Ireland's Rural Development Programme over a four year period beginning in 2010. This funding may only be spent on measures addressing the new and ongoing challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation, renewable energies, water management, biodiversity, innovation measures relating to these areas and the restructuring of the dairy sector.

Ireland's Rural Development Programme will be revised during 2009 to incorporate both the additional funding and the new measures. I am currently considering how these funds can best be used to develop Irish agriculture within the terms laid down in the EU regulations. As part of this process I have asked for submissions from the rural development stakeholders and the closing date for these submissions is 16 February 2009. All submissions received will be examined carefully, and will be a useful input to the decisions on these matters, which I expect to announce in the near future.