Written answers

Tuesday, 29 March 2022

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Departmental Expenditure

Photo of Matt CarthyMatt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

844. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount expended to assist with the provision of slurry storage on tillage farms, proposed allocation under the CAP Strategic Plan, associated targets for adoption and emission abatement potential; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15904/22]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (GHG MACC) for Irish Agriculture quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases, as well as the associated costs/benefits and shows the abatement potential of greenhouse gas mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures. Teagasc is currently reviewing the GHG MACC which was last published in 2019.

In addition to the review of the existing GHG MACC, funding of €2.2m has been granted under the Department's 2021 Competitive Research Call to the project 'Land-Use, Agriculture and Bioenergy Measures for the Abatement of Climate Change (LAB MACC)'.

This new project will build on the previous MACC and quantify mitigation associated with a range of new measures that reduce nitrous oxide emissions, enhance carbon sinks via land-use and displace fossil fuel emissions via closed farm nutrient loops using enhanced production of bio-based products. The review of the existing MACC will also input into the LAB MACC project.

Funding for slurry storage is currently available to all eligible farmers, including eligible tillage farmers, under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS II). These investments are covered by the Animal Welfare, Safety and Nutrient Storage Scheme, the Young Farmer's Capital Investment Scheme and the Organic Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS II. Grant-aid for tillage farm machinery such harvesting, spreading and pesticide equipment is currently available under the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme.

Grant aid for all eligible farmers for low emission slurry spreading equipment is also currently available under the Low Emission Slurry Spreading Scheme of TAMS II. Details of all available investments and eligibility criteria can be found on the Department's website.

As the Deputy will be aware, TAMS II is a demand-led voluntary scheme and to date, total expenditure under the seven measures of the TAMS, including transitional expenditure, has reached in excess of €348m with commitments of an additional €126m made to scheme participants who have yet to draw down those grants. Some 48,902 applications have been approved under the scheme.

Ireland's draft CAP Strategic Plan 2023 – 2027 which lists the range of interventions currently being proposed, was submitted to the EU Commission on 31st December 2021. It is proposed that investments will continue to be available for tillage farmers under the Capital Investment Scheme with the full details to be finalised. The Capital Investment Scheme, as is the case with all proposals under the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), is in the process of development and is subject to the formal approval of the European Commission. An indicative proposed amount of €440 million for Capital Investments will be available from 2021 to 2027.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.