asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that the minimum size of poultry house for which a grant is available is 1,500 square feet floor area; and if he will make arrangements to provide grants for smaller houses.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Poultry House Grants.
16.
Under the scheme of poultry house grants introduced in 1964, for encouraging the production of turkeys, broiler stock and commercial eggs in larger and more economic units the minimum floor area was fixed at 1,500 square feet.
There are, however, already schemes of grants operated both by my Department and the county committees of agriculture to assist small producers in the construction of poultry houses.
Is the Minister aware that the gap between the grant for small producers and the grant for 1,500 square feet is enormous? There is only a very small grant at the lower end, and there has been an enormous change over to batteries. A house of 1,000 square feet can contain more fowl than a house of 1,500 square feet, if they are in deep litter. These people have no opportunity of getting a grant and they have no opportunity to build up. This operates against a man building himself into a large poultry producer.
I presume the Deputy will agree that the trend is in the direction of larger and more commercial houses. It is on that basis that these rents were introduced, and it is because of that situation that the change in the direction which the Deputy is seeking has not been made. I am open to information that would convince me, but I have not yet been convinced.
Is the Minister aware that there is no grant for a producer with 1,000 birds in a battery? That is what I am trying to impress on him.
I am aware of that.