The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today announced the final detail of Ireland’s Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2014-2020, which will now be submitted to the European Commission for approval.  The draft RDP outlines the range of supports and schemes which will underpin sustainable growth in rural Ireland in the coming years.

Minister Coveney said: “The new Rural Development Programme has been developed following an extensive process of stakeholder consultation over the last 18 months. 

[rev_slider Surety]

The submission of Ireland’s Programme to the European Commission marks a further important step building on the successful negotiation of a new Common Agricultural Policy under Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union.  In designing the range of supports and schemes in the new RDP, this Government has given a clear signal of its commitment to a strategic investment in Rural Ireland and the agri-food sector by providing National Exchequer funding to bring the total amount available for RDP schemes to €4billion in the period to 2020.”

Minister of State Tom Hayes commented: “The new RDP will be a key support in facilitating sustainable growth in rural Ireland.  This will be built on targeting increased competitiveness, fostering innovation and best practice and ensuring sustainability of production.  The next stage in the process will involve detailed negotiations with the European Commission to ensure the adoption of a coherent and strategic Programme for the period to 2020.”

The draft RDP sets out the logic underlying proposed schemes and supports, and also outlines many of the administrative and monitoring and evaluation procedures that will be in place over the lifetime of the Programme.  In addition, full details in relation to the costings and payments applicable to schemes are set out.  The full draft RDP will be available on the Department’s website. http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/