Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Liming Programme was introduced by my Department earlier this year to incentivise the use of Lime, a natural soil conditioner which corrects soil acidity, makes nutrients more available for plant uptake, and improves overall soil health.

As the Deputy will be aware, on the 06th of October I announced important flexibility to the lime spreading deadline under the Programme. This was in response to the exceptionally wet weather over recent months which has impacted ground conditions and limited farmer's opportunities to spread lime. Under this flexibility, applicants now have until the 31^stof March 2024 to spread their approved quantity of lime.

In late October some quarries expressed concerns that they would not be able to process payments and produce invoices for all farmers seeking to forward buy ground limestone before the Liming Programme's original claim deadline of the 31^stof October. In response, I granted a one-week extension to the deadline for the submission of claims. Claims for payment will now be accepted up until midnight tonight, the 07^thof November 2023.