Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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214. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason participants in the knowledge transfer programme scheme for forestry are not eligible for an equivalent payment of up to €750 similar to participants in the beef, dairy, sheep, tillage, poultry and equine schemes. [46449/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Forestry Knowledge Transfer Groups scheme is a completely separate scheme and is not part of Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2014-2020. It is an initiative of my Department and is entirely exchequer-funded. It has different requirements and conditions to that of the other Knowledge Transfer schemes. In designing the Scheme my Department consulted with stakeholders and the scheme was trialled during the pilot phase, which had the same payment rate as the scheme now being implemented. There has been excellent uptake of the scheme since its launch.

I am pleased to say that the Scheme will launch again in early 2019, allowing for a fresh intake of participants.