Ireland’s revised Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 has been formally approved by the European Commission and is now available.

The revised Programme, which provides for spending of additional funds for rural development arising under the Health Check and the European Economic Recovery Package, includes the new agri-environment scheme, a number of new on-farm investment schemes as well as a new Rural Broadband Reach Scheme.

The new agri-environment scheme will benefit up to 10,000 participants and will provide a maximum payment of €5,000, as Minister Smith had previously stated at the time of Budget 2010 last month. It is focused on the priority areas of biodiversity, climate change and water management. It offers a menu of measures addressing these priorities and farmers may choose measures which complement the environmental profile of their farms. Details of the operation of the new agri-environment scheme will be finalised over the next few weeks.

The investment schemes include measures for dairy and sheep farmers, pig and poultry welfare measures and a water conservation scheme. In addition, provision has also been made for funding of establishment grants for bio-energy crops.

The Rural Broadband Reach Scheme aims to secure access to broadband for certain target premises in rural Ireland to which affordable broadband is not currently available and is unlikely to be available in the near future.

Download the revised Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 [pdf] (2.7 MB)