To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, pursuant to AQW 44517/11-15, to detail the expected timeframe for approved expenditure by the European Commission and consequent receipt of EU Funding by her Department.

The draft Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020 was submitted to the European Commission for approval on 14 October 2014, with the Commission’s formal comments being received on 31 March 2015. Approval of the Programme is expected by September 2015 at the latest, following which funds may be drawn down from the European Commission on receipt of approved quarterly declarations of expenditure. The timing of receipt of EU expenditure will depend on a number of factors such as DFP’s approval of the necessary business cases, the opening of schemes, the demand and uptake for the schemes, when projects complete and claim the grant and when this expenditure is claimed from the Commission by my Department.