asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries how much money has been paid in grants under the Land Project Scheme to farmers in County Leitrim and County Sligo for each of the past four years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Project Grants.
32.
As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Calendar Year |
Amount of Land Project grants paid |
|
|
Leitrim |
Sligo |
|
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
196 |
17,961 |
17,531 |
|
196 |
18,827 |
21,508 |
|
196 |
16,643 |
19,107 |
|
1966 |
21,522 |
22,400 |
33.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the average length of time from the time an application for a land project grant is made in County Meath (a) until an inspection takes place, and (b) until a decision is given on the grant; and the number of applications awaiting sanction in County Meath.
The period as regards (a) averages about ten to 11 months. The period as regards (b) averages about 11 days but the time can vary greatly from case to case, depending on the size of the proposed scheme and the problems encountered.
The number of applications awaiting sanction in County Meath on 31st December last was 389.
Does the Minister consider it reasonable that a farmer who wants to improve his land must wait for 11 months, on average, from the time he makes his application until an inspector can find time to come out and examine the proposed work? Will the Minister say why the position has deteriorated so badly over the past couple of years? Is he aware that three years ago inspection would take place within two months of the application?
I am not at all satisfied that there should be such a delay.
He is in the same dilemma here: he has not got the money.
Will the Minister say that, because of shortage of money last year, inspections were deliberately delayed?
If the Deputy would wait until the figures are available, he would see that there has been a rising demand over the past couple of years for these particular services.
Is the Minister aware that is not true of County Meath? In fact, people have been so discouraged because of failure to get any response to their applications, the number of schemes is growing less every day and many of those in the figure quoted by the Minister, 300 odd, have been on the list for about 18 months.
I have said I am not satisfied with the position.
Will the Minister do something about it?
Despite the Deputy's experience in Meath, I can assure him that the demand for money I have to make at this particular time of the year to the Minister for Finance to provide for the schemes next year has unfortunately, from the point of view of the Minister for Finance, gone up substantially.