Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the money outlined under the following EU Fund was allocated and spent, €308.72 million of the EAFRD contribution for Natura 2000 payments under the Rural Development Programme [4141/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The funding set out in the Rural Development Programme, 2007-2013 (RDP), was based on the assumption that REPS 4 would continue to be open to new applicants until the end of the Programme. Due to budgetary constraints, REPS 4 closed to new applicants on 9th July 2009 at which stage it had more than 30,000 participants. In 2009 the payment rates were reduced by about 17% and in 2012 they were reduced by a further 10%. The level of expenditure as set out in the RDP will not be reached during the lifetime of the present Programme. However, expenditure under the REPS and AEOS Schemes will ensure that all available EU funding for Natura and Agri-Environment Measures combined under the RDP will be drawn down.

Both REPS and AEOS are voluntary schemes which allowed eligible applicants with Natura land to apply and participate. To date, €80.8 million has been paid to Natura 2000 participants in REPS 4, corresponding to a contribution of €44.4 million from the EAFRD. In addition, a further €3.7 million has been paid to date to Natura 2000 participants in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme, with €2.7 million being the EAFRD contribution.