Kevin O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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1040. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding negotiations with the EU Commission on specific measures (details supplied); and when he expects these schemes to be rolled out. [13258/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Locally Led Agri-Environment schemes under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme include the Burren Programme, the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Locally Led Hen Harrier and Fresh Water Pearl Mussel projects and the EIP Locally Led Environmental and Climate Projects.

The Burren Programme was introduced as part of the 1st amendment to the RDP which was approved by the European Commission on 23 June 2016. It is now in its second year of operation.

The EIP Locally Led schemes were introduced as part of the 2nd amendment to the RDP which was approved by the European Commission on 25 January 2017. My Department has already moved to implement all these schemes, seeking and assessing tenders for the Project Teams to lead the Hen Harrier and Freshwater Pearl Mussel schemes, and opening the first call for locally-led EIP projects which saw 118 proposals submitted by the closing date.