Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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108. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding access to grants in respect of persons (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39251/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Rural Development Programme for the period 2014-2020, which will be co-funded by the European Union and the national exchequer, was submitted to the EU Commission for approval in July 2014. Under the Programme, it is proposed to introduce an on farm capital investment scheme, the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme II. This new scheme will involve a standard grant rate of 40 per cent in general and a specific grant rate of 60 per cent for the young farmer capital investment scheme. The approval of the EU Commission will be required before any new measures can be introduced under the new Rural Development Programme.

As regards credit availability for farmers, I have regular meetings with the CEOs of the three main banks, and all have emphasised that the banks are willing and anxious to lend to farmers seeking to expand. If a farmer has had an application for credit refused or reduced and feels that the bank's decision is unjustified, s/he can seek to have the issue reviewed by the Credit Review Office.

A number of initiatives have been taken by the Government to improve access to non-bank sources of finance. My Department is actively engaged in the State Bodies Group on Access to Finance, chaired by the Department of Finance, which monitors progress on these initiatives.