Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total proposed allocation under the recently agreed rural development programme of common agricultural policy for the period 2014 to 2020; the required matching State Exchequer finances to draw down this money completely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10770/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s overall rural development allocation under the seven-year EU budget from 2014 to 2020 amounts to €2.190 billion. This represents an annual average commitment in the region of €313 million in current prices. This includes a special allocation for Ireland of €100 million over the full period that was secured following intensive negotiations in the final stages of the talks.

A co-funding rate of 53% will apply to rural development programmes. The general rules for the next rural development programmes are still under discussion by EU Agriculture Ministers. When these negotiations are concluded, I will then engage in extensive consultation to devise suitable programmes and agree appropriate exchequer funding with my cabinet colleagues.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total allocation of money under the rural development programme 2007 – 2014, including the funding from the EU and the expected Exchequer matching finance for this programme for the same period, including all Exchequer financing to-date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10771/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the financial plan of the Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013 [RDP] a total of €4,825,452,483 funding is currently allocated at programme level. This total consists of EAFRD funding of €2,494,540,590 and total exchequer funding of €2,330,911,893. Since the launch of the RDP expenditure under the programme up to the end 2012 amounted to €3.74bn. This represents 77.6% of the total value of the Programme and 83% of the EAFRD amount.

The financial plan in the programme is configured to maximise all available EU funding but national funding is subject to ongoing budgetary constraints. Adjustments to the financial plan will continue to be made up to the end of the programme to achieve the fullest possible draw down of EU funds having regard to available national financing.