asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his attention has been drawn to a statement (details supplied) that farmers are abusing the farm modernisation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Modernisation Scheme.
6.
I have seen reports of the statement referred to. It would seem that the main tenor of the statement was to confirm the importance of planned development of farms which is, of course, a fundamental aim of the farm modernisation scheme. The statement also emphasised the value of the scheme not only to farmers but also to advisers in bringing them into contact with many more farmers and giving them the opportunity to work more closely with them. The statement did suggest that too many farmers tended to regard the scheme as a somewhat cumbersome means of getting grants and failed to appreciate the importance of proper planning. This is a criticism which, I am confident, will quickly disappear as farmers get more experience of the scheme.
Does the Minister assert that there are abuses of the scheme?
That has not been suggested. The headings that appeared were not justified by what was contained in the article, as often happens.
Is the Minister saying that the newspaper report was inaccurate?
No, I am saying that headings can often be very misleading. When one reads the article one gets a different impression altogether.
Did the Minister get a completely different impression than mine?
Completely. These headings are intended to attract attention. There is no real criticism in the article.
Is the Minister saying that this scheme is meant to bring advisers to more farmers? I cannot understand how he can say that when so few farmers will qualify. This will take the advisers away from the majority of farmers.
When advisers examine and decide into what category a farmer comes, that brings him in contact. If he is following a six-year programme, that puts a responsibility on the farmer and the adviser, who are planning the operation. This is what we all want.
But who will be planning that six-year programme, because few will qualify? The advisers will go in to classify a farm but his priority is the man who qualifies for the six-year programme.
Who is the Deputy holding responsible for this direction? I said before that neither I nor my predecessor could be responsible for a scheme that was there before we joined.
I want to change it.
So do I.
I am glad to hear the Minister admit it.
I always wanted to change it.
7.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will obtain the views of Dáil Éireann on the Farm Modernisation Scheme before the EEC Council of Ministers decide on alternations to it, so that the scheme can be made more suited to the needs of the majority of farmers in the country.
At the recent meeting in Dublin of EEC Ministers for Agriculture, I proposed to my colleagues that the time would now be opportune for a review of the farm modernisation directive in the light of experience in its operation. The intention is that the Commission will now undertake such a review and will present a report to the Council of Ministers in due course. At that stage the council will have the opportunity to consider changes in the directive in the context of the Commission's report. The farm modernisation scheme has already been the subject of debate in the Dáil and Seanad and I expect that there will be further opportunities to discuss it before the results of the Commission's review are available.
Am I to take it that we will have a full day or even two days' debate on the scheme before the Council of Ministers make a decision, and not when the decision is made?
I would be amazed if it took Deputy Callanan that long to make known his views, because they are well known already.
I am not the only Deputy here who is interested in this scheme.
I appreciate that, but the people who criticise it are not prepared to admit that it is working and we have no less than 30,000 applications——
There are not any from my area. Will the Minister give me an assurance that there will be a full debate in this House——
If Deputy Callanan is looking for a full debate on this item, the answer is no. There will be ample opportunity between now and the time something is fixed for him to——
Am I to take it from that, that this Parliament is irrelevant?
It is, if it does not discuss in detail every item Deputy Callanan has in mind.