Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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97. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to make the draft rural development plan as submitted to the European Commission available to the public on his Department's website; if he has addressed the observations made by the European Commission; if he plans to make the observations of the Commission and his Department's response to same publicly available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48671/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland’s draft Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014-2020 was submitted to the European Commission on 3^rdJuly, 2014. The draft RDP has been available on my Department’s website since that time. The formal observations of the EU Commission were received on 20^thOctober, and a reply issued from my Department on 11^thNovember. In relation to the observations received from the EU Commission, the release of this document would be a matter for the Commission. I understand, however, that the document is currently in the public domain. There have been intensive discussions between officials in my Department and the Commission in order to agree a RDP for formal adoption. These intensive negotiations are ongoing, and the process has involved the exchange of further information and clarifications on a very wide range of topics in recent weeks. I have committed to attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine at an early date to discuss the RDP and this will provide an opportunity to discuss relevant details of the RDP and the approval process.