Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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1025. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the other subsectors within farming that have received allocations from the European Commission for each of the years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019; the sub sectors in which co-financing is also available with regard to the European Commission's announcement in July 2016 that it would support Irish farmers affected by the livestock crisis with €11.1 million and relaxed state aid rules in order that the national exchequer could co-finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12946/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to exceptional aid from the EU Commission.

In 2014, the EU Commission allocated €13.2 million to Ireland under a package to assist farmers in the pig and dairy sectors. With the addition of national funds, funding was increased to €27.4 million, €1m of which was allocated to the pig sector, and  the balance of which was provided to the dairy sector. The EU monies were to be paid by 30 June 2015.      

As part of a second €350 million package agreed at EU level in 2016, Ireland was allocated €11.1 million. Using National funds, I increased this provision to €25 million, and used this, in co-operation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), to provide a low cost loan fund of €150 million, available to farmers at interest rates of 2.95%. While the EU funding provided may be used only for livestock sectors, the loan fund, using agriculture de minimis state aid rules, is available to the grain and horticulture sectors.

A further €150 million was made available to Member States in 2016 to provide funding for dairy farmers wishing to reduce production. Irish dairy farmers will receive approximately €6.5 million from this fund by the end of March 2017.