Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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212. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of each European innovation partnerships initiative project opened to date under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020; the financial allocations on an annual basis for each such project opened to date; the annual amount expended on the listed schemes in each year since it was established; the number of active participants in the scheme; and the number of approved applicants that subsequently withdrew from each project in tabular form. [46447/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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At the outset, I wish to clarify that each European Innovation Partnerships Initiative project is locally led, locally designed and locally administered and not managed directly by my Department. All projects are still in the early stages of design or implementation.

The first round of the EIP competitive process started in December 2016. Following a two stage selection process, twelve projects were chosen and these have now begun full implementation on the ground. They are still at design stage and none of these projects have invited expressions of interest from farmers yet.

The second call under this initiative issued in August 2017. Nine projects were selected for full implementation and the successful project teams were informed in late October 2018. Contracts with the selected project teams will be signed following workshops and individual meetings.

The Hen Harrier Programme, which is one of two Prescribed EIPs, commenced in April 2017 has received 1,845 applications. 1,683 of those are valid applications and 693 people have been offered contracts to date. Letters of Offer will commence again shortly and will continue into 2019. No farmer has withdrawn from the scheme.

The Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Project is the second Prescribed EIP and commenced in May 2018 and the project design is in progress. Farmer consultation meetings are on-going and expressions of interest will be sought from early 2019 onwards.

Details of the individual projects are shown in the following table. The amounts shown are for the full allocation to each project and all are still in early stages.