365. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to assist willow growers (details supplied) to harvest their crop, following the withdrawal of contractors from the industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20193/15]

The Bioenergy (Willow) Scheme 2015 was launched in March 2015 and closed for applications on 30 April 2015.  The objective of the scheme is to provide establishment grants to farmers to grow willow to produce biomass suitable for use as a renewable source of energy so as to contribute to meeting renewable energy targets and stimulating the local economy. The Scheme is funded entirely from the National Exchequer and will be reviewed later this year in the light of uptake to date.  However, there are no proposals to grant aid harvest equipment, or the cost of harvesting, under the Scheme at present.