asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the number of applications approved under the farm modernisation scheme in Counties Laois and Offaly; and the number in each category, development, commercial and transitional.
11.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Modernisation Scheme.
10.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the number of applications received under the farm modernisation scheme in County Waterford, the number approved and the number in each category, commercial, development and transitional.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together and, as the reply is in the form of a tabular statement, to circulate it with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:
|
Position at 30th November, 1974 |
County |
||
|
Waterford |
Laois |
Offaly |
|
|
Number of applications received |
482 |
564 |
306 |
|
Number so far determined as being eligible |
239 |
534 |
110 |
|
Number so far classified |
123 |
49 |
70 |
|
Classification: |
|||
|
Development |
71 |
21 |
20 |
|
Commercial |
4 |
2 |
— |
|
Transitional |
48 |
26 |
50 |
12.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will seek changes in the farm modernisation scheme to make it more suitable to Irish conditions.
As I indicated in my address to the General Council of Committees of Agriculture on 2nd December, I am keeping the operation of EEC Directive 159 of 1972 under close review and if it proves to be necessary I may ask the Council of Ministers to have the effects of the directive examined.
The Minister must be aware that it is not workable. Out of a huge application in my county only three were successful. That is proof enough.
I agree with the Deputy that certain indications are appearing. I think he will agree that I could not possibly go to the Council of Ministers and make a case for a scheme which has not really been operated. If we were to make a convincing case in the EEC, we would have to operate this scheme for a period of 12 months at least.
We have been trying to go into this scheme for the last six months but the instructors are finding that nobody, with the exception of very large farmers, will qualify as development farmers. The scheme is completely unsuitable for our farmers.
I do not accept what the Deputy has said. I hold that the farmers he is concerned about are getting grants at least as good as they got before, and in some cases better. The fact that the majority of them will not be classified as development farmers is unfortunate and we are looking at the reasons and the causes for this and at the possibility of having a second comparable income for the western areas.
The fact remains that traditional farmers, as the directive stands, will only be subsidised up to 1977 when the matter will be reviewed. The whole idea was to get a scheme to help farmers develop.
The Deputy is aware that in those parts of the country where the disadvantaged area scheme will apply the 1977 deadline is removed for the subsidisation of farmers.
Surely the Minister must be aware that, with the information available to him in his Department, this scheme is not operative? Is the Minister, because of this, preparing a submission to the EEC for changes?
The scheme has only been operating for the last month or so.
The Minister must be aware of the numbers qualifying under that scheme.
I am so aware but there are a number of reasons which I indicated last week why we are getting so many transition farmers coming up. They do not have to be examined at all. The ones who have to be examined are those who are likely to be development farmers.
Is the Minister going to let this drift on until it is too late to do anything about it?
No, I want to be able to make a convincing case when I go about it.
The Minister should have plenty of information by now.
Is the Minister aware that there are frightful anomalies and inequalities in the scheme? Does the Minister not feel that now is the time to change the scheme rather than impose a structure on the farming community which they dislike and which we are conditioning them to dislike and distrust?
I am not imposing anything on farmers. I am giving them the benefit of a scheme that was worked out over years of discussion in the EEC, one that we have not really operated yet.