Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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76. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of European agricultural farm scheme funding that Ireland has returned unallocated over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38868/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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One of the main EU funded Schemes is the Single Farm Payment (SFP) under Pillar One of the Common Agricultural Policy. Since 2009, my Department has paid in excess of €6.2 billion to some 125,000 farmers under the SFP. Essentially, all of the EU funding available was drawn and paid to farmers during that period. In 2009, following the CAP Health Check agreement, provisions were adopted for the use of unused SFP funds. This was based on a proposal from Ireland and a number of other Member States. Since that time, over €107 million was paid to Irish farmers from unused SFP funds under the Upland Sheep Scheme, Grassland Sheep Scheme, Dairy Efficiency Programme, Beef Data Programme and the Burren Farming for Conservation Programme. Under Pillar Two of the Common Agricultural Policy, Member States develop multi-annual Rural Development Programmes (RDP), which are co-financed by EU and national exchequer funding. Ireland's overall European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) allocation from the EU for the 2007-2013 period is some €2.5 billion. The 2007-2013 RDP is nearing the end of its cycle, as under the N+2 rule expenditure may continue until the end of 2015. Expenditure will continue up to until the end of 2015 with the aim of maximising the drawdown of available EU funds. To date Ireland has one of the highest rates of drawdown amongst the EU Member States.

In addition, Ireland submitted its draft Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 period earlier this year. There is €2.19bn EAFRD funding available for the new programming period.