Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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530. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he has to provide financial assistance towards land drainage in view of the substantial costs involved in such work and the need for drainage works to be undertaken in view of the heavy rainfall over the past few years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17936/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new EU policy framework setting out the broad principles in relation to rural development for the 2014-2020 period has now been finalised. My Department is currently considering the comments received from the various stakeholders in response to the consultation paper which was published by my Department in January 2014.

The consultation paper sets out a number of priorities in the case of on-farm investment schemes under the new Programme, including further support to encourage investment in the dairy sector, an enhanced scheme of grant-aid for young farmers, and a new farm building measure which will provide grant-aid for the construction of animal housing and slurry storage.

My Department considered the possibility of putting forward a targeted farm drainage scheme for EU Commission approval within the context of the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programme, but concluded that too many issues of an environmental, financial and administrative nature would have to be overcome in proposing such a scheme as a priority measure under the new Programme. My Department’s consultation paper states that further targeted areas may be identified within the lifetime of the new Programme as appropriate for grant-aid and the issue of a drainage scheme will be borne in mind in that context.