Written answers

Thursday, 2 July 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Rural Development Programme

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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112. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider allocating any unused funds arising from schemes under the rural development programme Pillar II and re-allocating them towards a hill lamb sector welfare scheme and a weanlings welfare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26762/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 will be a key support in enhancing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector, achieving a more sustainable management of natural resources and ensuring a more balanced development of rural areas. The RDP has been developed on the basis of extensive preparatory analyses and stakeholder consultation, and while it does not include a measure directly providing assistance towards hill lamb or weanlings welfare, there are a number of relevant supports to the sheep sector and the suckler cow sector. The Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) in the RDP will benefit sheep farmers and they will continue to be significant beneficiaries from the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme. Knowledge Transfer Groups will also be run for sheep farmers, continuing and building upon the progress made to date under the Sheep Technology Adoption Programme (STAP). Also, a series of capital investment schemes are being introduced under the TAMS II scheme, several of which will provide for sheep farmers. 

The RDP also includes the targeted Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), a measure with an overall budget of some €300 million, and which is aimed at suckler farmers producing weanlings. As with sheep farmers, suckler farmers may also benefit under GLAS, ANCs, Knowledge Transfer Groups and capital investment supports under TAMS II.

At present, all rural development funding has been fully allocated to schemes as set out in the Financial Plan chapter of the RDP , and there are no unused funds. However, it is a seven year Programme, and so the situation will be kept under review and amended, if necessary, in consultation with the RDP Monitoring Committee and with the approval of the European Commission. Any new measures would need a clear legal basis in the EU regulations, and would also need to respond to a detailed analysis and clear needs. Implementation of the agreed Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 is currently a high priority for my Department.

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