Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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1315. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he can confirm whether or not his Department ever made a submission or application for funding for a grant aid scheme for digestor farm waste units; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38652/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I assume the Deputy is referring here to the action in the Climate Action Plan 2023 to seek financial opportunities for capital support for the development of a Biomethane sector in Ireland. This is an action led by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and is linked to the development of a National Biomethane Strategy aligned with bioeconomy development which is being co-led by this Department and DECC.

For my part, and in acknowledgement that achieving 5.7 TWh of indigenously produced biomethane will require a significant and rapid scale up for an Anaerobic Digestion industry in Ireland, l have committed that elements of the carbon tax funds allocated to this Department will support this scaling up. For example, I announced earlier this year a €3 million investment in an integrated anaerobic digestion and green biorefining demonstration initiative.

In addition, I can confirm that the Department opened the Demonstration On-Farm Waste Processing Facilities Scheme in 2006, under which four anaerobic digestors were completed and paid grant-aid. A total of €1.6m in funding was paid out to the four projects. This scheme was operated by OFI Division, with the last project being paid in 2020.