John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the status of the application for grant aid to grow miscanthus under the bioenergy scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; if the national quota for miscanthus has been exceeded; if the application will be accommodated under unused willow quota, as has been the previous practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10042/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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My Department made €1m available in 2009 to grant aid the planting of 900 hectares of miscanthus. In total, 214 applications were received by the closing date of 31 January 2009 to plant 1,850 hectares of miscanthus. My Department has issued approvals in respect of the first 900 hectares of miscanthus submitted. The applicant concerned submitted an application to plant 6.04 hectares of miscanthus after the 900-hectare ceiling for miscanthus had been exceeded. The question of re-allocating unused funding from the allocation under the Bioenergy Scheme for willow planting to accommodate additional miscanthus planting in 2009 is currently being considered.