To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail the selection criteria or scoring mechanisms which have been established for projects making applications to the Rural Development Fund 2014-2020, following its approval by the European Commission.

Officials in my Department are currently developing application procedures and relevant selection criteria for each scheme and measure recently approved by the EU Commission. They have been and will continue to engage with the Monitoring Committee and Stakeholders on the application procedures and selection criteria. When the appropriate approvals are in place my Department will make clear the application procedure and selection criteria for each scheme and measure being funded through the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.