asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if central EEC funds will be made available to co-ordinate research on animal manure disposal.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Animal Manure Disposal.
47.
There is a proposal before the Council of Ministers at present under which agricultural research programmes generally would be co-ordinated at Community level. It is expected that, in this context, joint projects would be promoted with the aid of Community finance and that one such project would be research on the disposal of effluent from intensive livestock units.
Will the Minister agree that several countries have realised that it can be profitable and beneficial for them to process animal manures? Has any action been taken here to research this matter? Would the Minister not press to have a joint scheme set up under the EEC on this matter or, if not, would he not consider having some research carried out here?
Can the Deputy clarify his suggestion? On what exactly does he want research carried out?
Research regarding animal manure disposal and the processing of animal manure from the point of view of extracting fluorites and nitrates for redistribution on the land.
We do not need any research into the ways and means of disposing of wastes of this kind.
The Minister may not have been here when we discussed the ill-effects of pig slurry on fishery stocks. I am sure the Minister is responsible to this House and to the country in certain ways with regard to pollution.
It is not only the farmers who are responsible for this. The local authorities——
This question does not specifically relate to pollution.
I cannot address this question to the Minister for Local Government.
I can assure the Deputy we know how to handle this material.