Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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167. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will explore further funding for an European Innovation Partnership scheme project (details supplied); when the current funding expires in 2022; and if his Department will continue to support the project throughout the State. [26842/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is funding 57 European Innovation Partnership (EIPs) projects introduced under Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014 – 2020. EIPs are a really important and successful model of farming communities working together for the betterment of farming and the environment.

The BRIDE project on biodiversity is one of these EIPs and is an excellent example of an innovative agri-environment project based in a river catchment. 

The aim of this EIP is to design and implement a results-based approach to conserve, enhance, and restore habitats in lowland intensive farmland.    

My Department’s proposed new agri-environment climate measure (AECM) under the next CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) will be building on the learnings and experience of these EIPs including those of the BRIDE. Subject to approval by the EU Commission of the CSP, the new AECM will have two streams – General and Co-operation (CP). 

The CP stream will be managed by new Co-operation Project Teams and represents a scaling-up of the EIP model and the learnings gained. 

The new AECM has been developed taking into account the excellent collaborative work done by these pilot projects, including the BRIDE EIP, in developing and testing innovative solutions to challenges in the agri-environment sector.  One of the aims of these pilot projects was to offer an opportunity for a broad range of people – farmers, scientists, advisors – to work together to overcome problems relating to the interaction between farming and the environment in their local area. The outcome of their work in such areas as results-based management of land will now be extended beyond a pilot project to the whole of the country.

The BRIDE EIP is due to finish at the end of 2022 and I look forward to receiving its final report. However we will be continuing to support the work of this project through the new AECM throughout the whole State. I would encourage farmers participating in this and other EIPs to apply to join the AECM Scheme – either the General or Co-operation stream, as appropriate to their location, when the Scheme opens for applications later this year.