Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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1250.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the development of two new all-island bioeconomy demonstrator facilities; to provide the total allocation; the expenditure to date; the amount that is contained with expenditure ceilings laid out in the Stability Programme update and Summer Economic Statement and the amount that will have to come from additional funding; the date the project was started; and the projected date of completion, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[34810/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The ‘Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative’ is a new funding initiative to support bioeconomy piloting and demonstration actions across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

It recognises that both jurisdictions on the Island are facing similar climate and sustainability challenges, have similar agriculture, land use and marine activities, and have significant potential to unlock opportunities within the bioeconomy. From a policy perspective, support for piloting and demonstration activities is a key objective of the Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025.

The initiative has a total budget of c.€9 million, composed of €7 million from the Government’s Shared Island Initiative, and co-funding of €1.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and £0.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.

A call for proposals launched on 05 March 2024. The closing date for submissions was 07 June 2024. The call offered opportunities to support innovation for the Agri-Bioeconomy in Northern Ireland and for the Blue-Bioeconomy in Ireland, and a North/South collaborative approach was essential in applications. The submissions are currently being evaluated and results are expected to be announced in early 2025. There has been no expenditure to date.