Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

555. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of his Department’s expenditure devoted to supports for small farmers and small fishermen; and the amount to large farmers and agri-food and fishing companies. [32158/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

A range of supports is provided by my Department to support farmers, fishermen and food companies of all sizes. Total public expenditure on the agri-food sector by my Department was approximately €2.4 billion in 2014. Direct payments to farmers, including the Single Farm Payment, Rural Development and forestry payments, totalled €1.75 billion in 2014. My Department provides funding for State Bodies including Teagasc, Bord Bia and BIM, which provide a range of training, advisory and research supports for primary producers and food companies of all sizes.

In addition, my Department’s Vote includes funding for measures managed by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the Department:

- €3.5 million in food competitiveness measures such as innovation vouchers, lean manufacturing and leadership for growth programmes to assist agri-food companies to improve capability and drive development

- € 2.2 million for payments relating to previous approvals under the Beef and & Sheepmeat Investment Fund to improve meat processing facilities.

The Vote also includes €0.6m for residual payments to small food companies under an earlier Marketing and Processing Scheme.

In all cases, schemes are administered in a fair and equitable manner.