Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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303. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if consideration will be given to extending the period for the completion of work under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme farm safety scheme, given that approval has not yet been confirmed for all applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25751/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am pleased to say that there has been a high level of interest in the Farm Safety Scheme with over 6,200 applications received. To date over 4,600 approvals have issued to applicants to undertake work under the scheme and the local offices of my Department are querying further applications with farmers with a view to ensuring that as many applicants as possible undertake measures to improve safety and save lives on their farms.

A total of €12.2m has been allocated to this scheme offering a 40 per cent rate of aid, up to a maximum eligible investment ceiling of €20,000, i.e. a maximum grant of €8,000. As this scheme was introduced under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme, very tight time-limits are applicable as far as the completion of work by farmers is concerned. Unfortunately, this means that all work must be completed and a payment claim lodged with the Department by the 31 August 2015 in order to make the deadlines for payment established by regulation.