450. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will outline in relation to the 2026 scheme of investment aid for innovation and diversification in horticulture, the amount the scheme was allocated; the amount of that allocation that was actually drawn down; the number of applications that were received and approved; and the way in which the funding was distributed by enterprise type and by county. [66326/26]

A total budget of €8.8m was allocated for all Horticulture Schemes in 2026. This included the 2026 Scheme for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Capital Investments), 2026 Scheme of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Feasibility/Desk Studies), 2026 Scheme of Investment Aid for Process and Organisational Innovation in Horticulture for Large Enterprises and 2026 Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector.

The amount of money drawn down under these schemes is not yet known as applicants have until 01 November 2026 to submit their claim for payment.

Under the 2026 Scheme for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture (Capital Investments) 47 applications were received, 13 of these were deemed ineligible for various reasons. The remaining 34 applications were assessed, subjected to ranking and selection as set out in the Scheme Terms & Conditions with the 10 highest ranked applications received approval.

The type of enterprise approved along with their counties are outlined in the table below.