Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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536. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the programmes funded under the rural development programme 2007-2013; the total estimated expenditure under each element of this programme at its conclusion; the expenditure to date; the estimated amount that will be provided by Exchequer funding and the amount of Exchequer funding to date; the percentage minimum Exchequer funding required under each measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22540/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The table sets out the measures funded under the Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013 [RDP]. Under the current approved financial plan in the Programme close on €4.8Bn is allocated at programme level. This amount includes an allocation of EAFRD funding of €2.49Bn and €2.3Bn of Exchequer funding. Since the launch of the RDP expenditure under the programme up to the end of March 2013 amounted to €3.8Bn. This represents close on 79% of the total value of the Programme and 85% of the EAFRD amount. Axes 1 and 2 of the Rural Development Programme are administered by my Department while Axes 3 and 4 are delivered by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Details of the allocation and expenditure per measure per fund source under the RDP up to the end of March 2013 are set out in the table below. Included in the table is the indicative level in percentage terms of required exchequer funding per measure to meet the current approved financial plan. This table does not include funds already committed but not as yet claimed.

The programme, like all national spending, is subject to ongoing budgetary constraints but is configured to maximise all available EU funding. Spending under a number of measures may continue until the end of 2015 and this will provide considerable scope to allow all measures to spend up to their full allocation. Adjustments have already been made to the RDP financial plan and further adjustments are currently being made in order to achieve the fullest possible draw down of available funds. These adjustments must take expenditure to date and commitments to the end of the programme into account and have regard to the available national funding.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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537. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total and the annualised amount of money provided in the multi-annual framework for the rural development programme 2014-2020 for Ireland; the details of the sub-programmes that can be co-funded based on the MFF and the Commission’s proposals; the minimum Exchequer funding percentage required for each element; the minimum percentage of the programme that must be used for specific sub programmes such as LEADER type actions, agri-environment schemes and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22541/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The European Council agreement on the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) provides a total of €2.19bn or some €313m for Ireland per year under Pillar 2 of the CAP for the period 2014 - 2020. This includes a special allocation of €100 million, over the full period, negotiated in the final stages of the talks. Measures which may be funded must address the three rural development objectives and the six priorities laid down in the proposal.

The MFF provides for flexibility regarding the co-financing rates for Pillar 2 support measures and a number of different rates have been incorporated into the proposal. A general co-financing rate of 53% is proposed but this rate may rise to a maximum of 80% for measures such as farm and business development, co-operation activities, Leader projects, and other measures. Environmental type measures may be co-funded up to 75%. The exchequer funding percentage that will be required to draw down the available EU funding will depend firstly on the types of measures that will be included in the Programme and secondly on the co-financing rate that is agreed with the EU Commission for these measures.

As regards the minimum spend for certain measures, the proposal provides that at least 5% EAFRD funding must be reserved for Leader while the Common Provisions Regulation provides that 7% of EAFRD funding must be allocated under a national performance reserve. In addition a recital to the rural development regulation proposes that 25% of the total EAFRD amount be reserved for diverse environmental operations and climate change mitigation and adaptation measures.