Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

142. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the schemes and supports available to farmers who are interested in growing crops to supply as fuel to biomass electricity generating plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35716/15]

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

A new Bio- Energy Scheme was introduced by my Department for 2015, which focused exclusively on the growing of willow and provided establishment grants to farmers of up to 40% of the crop establishment costs subject to a maximum grant of €1,040 per hectare. The maximum area for planting was increased under the new scheme from 30 hectares to 50 hectares in response to submissions from the sector. Applicants wishing to avail of the grant had to submit evidence of linkages with end-users to use the biomass crop as a source of bioenergy. Despite the package of supports available and the changes made, take-up of the new scheme has been very low and the scheme is now being reviewed once more in my Department. There are no direct links in place currently for the output of the scheme to supply fuel to biomass electricity generating plants, but this is an aspect that will be considered in the review.