Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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267. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on introducing financial instruments under the Common Agriculture Policy; when will the ex ante evaluation will be completed; the approximate timeframe for operationalising such instruments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38264/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The contract for an ex-ante assessment for the use of Financial Instruments (FIs) within Ireland’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programmes was awarded to Indecon on 31 August, 2016. The Assessment is well underway and the final ex-ante assessment Report will be completed by end December, 2016.

Once an ex-ante assessment is complete a decision can be made on whether or not to implement a FI. If a decision is made to proceed with FIs then an agreement must be reached between the Department and any other potential stakeholders/financial institutions on a clear investment strategy that is developed from the gaps, if any, identified in the ex-ante assessment. Following this, an appropriate amendment would have to be made to the Rural Development Programme.