Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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756. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Government has a 2030 or intermediary target for the adoption of multi-species swards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12563/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department acknowledges the importance of measures like Multi-species sward in contributing to meeting our targets around climate emissions, water quality and biodiversity.

The recently submitted draft CAP Strategic Plan to the European Commission included a range of eco-schemes now being considered by the EU Commission and subject to Commission approval

One of the eight agricultural practices proposed by Ireland as part of its eco scheme submission is a measure for sowing multi-species sward.  Under this practice, a farmer will be required to sow multi-species sward on at least 6% of the eligible hectares in the year the farmer selects this agricultural practice.

A target reduction in chemical Nitrogen usage by 2030 to 325,000 been set, with multi-species usage just one of the actions identified as a means to achievement of this target.  

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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757. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount allocated to multi-species sward scheme; the number of participants; the average payment by county and farm system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12564/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As part of Budget 2022, I committed €1m to a pilot measure to support Multi-Species Swards. It is a pilot measure proposed by my Department to promote environmentally sustainable methods of farming and a reduced dependency on expensive Nitrogenous fertiliser.

It will have a positive impact on climate emissions, biodiversity and water quality. This measure is anticipated to contribute to the goals set around the EU Green Deal including the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategy, it is an innovative pilot measure which has a proposed target to establish approximately 8,000 ha of multi-species grassland (depending on uptake).

As the measure is currently in development phase and has not yet launched, figures around numbers of participants are not yet available.