Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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99. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide annual costings on 50/50 co-financing for the Rural Development Programme 2015-2020. [36326/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014-2020 will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on support for Rural Development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) sets out the breakdown of EU support for rural development for each EU Member State for the years 2014 – 2020. Ireland’s total EAFRD allocation for rural development is some €2.19 billion (or some €313 million per annum), as agreed at the Multi -annual Financial Framework negotiations in 2013. EU funding amounts are combined with national co-funding to provide for each Member State’s RDP. In Ireland’s case, National Exchequer funding brings the total to be spent on RDP schemes in the 2014-2020 period to over €4 billion. Annual costings for the RDP will be agreed in line with the roll out of schemes and the annual budgetary process.