Written answers

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agriculture Schemes

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1190. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated to his Department through the carbon tax in 2020, 2021 and 2022; the schemes these funds were spent on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52429/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In 2020, carbon tax of €3 million in capital funding was allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) which was utilised on measures to quantify land-based carbon sequestration and carbon emissions.

In 2021, another allocation of €3 million capital was provided, which is due to be spent on a continuation of those measures. Furthermore, in 2021, an additional current allocation of €20 million carbon tax was provided which is being used to fund the new Results Based Agri Environment Pilot (REAP) programme.

For 2022, a further allocation of €3 million in capital funding will facilitate continued capacity building towards the development of climate focused pilot schemes.

DAFM's allocation of current carbon tax funding has been deferred until 2023 to further bolster the new Agri Environmental scheme as part of the next CAP programme.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department is currently developing a CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027 and it is intended that the carbon tax funding, including the deferred carbon tax allocation of €46 million in 2022, will be made available under the Plan, and under subsequent plans to 2030, as the funding comes on stream.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government commitment provides for €1.5 billion Carbon Tax funding over the period 2020-2030. The carbon tax funding is expected to increase year on year with the largest revenue expected to be available in the later years.

The drawdown of €46 million of the total €49 million allocated in 2022 has been deferred to 2023 so that a total of €723 million of carbon tax funding will be made over the period of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023 to 2027. The remaining funds will be made available in the next programming period.

The Department’s view is that the funding should be programmed into the CSP to ensure compliance with agriculture state aid rules and ensure Commission approval for the interventions proposed and coherence with the overall green architecture proposed for the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027.

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