Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 26 May 1976

Vol. 291 No. 2

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Capital Works Grants.

12.

Dr. Gibbons

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will state in detail, as an extension of the information made available on page two of Farm Bulletin, March, 1976, the grants covering capital works on the farm that are offered to farmers who are not commercial farmers and who are not in the farm modernisation scheme, as follows: (a) farm building schemes (b) land project, including mountain fencing (c) water supplies scheme, including grants for milk coolers (d) glasshouse grant schemes and (e) mushroom production grants.

13.

Dr. Gibbons

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the grants available to (a) commercial farmers (b) modernisation scheme applicants and (c) other farmers for boring for wells; and if the grants are available to farmers who are not full-time farmers.

Mr. Donegan

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 13 together.

Following the winding-up of the former capital grant schemes financial assistance towards investment in capital works undertaken on the farm is available only under the farm modernisation scheme. Details of the range and levels of grant-aid available to all categories of farmers under the scheme were given in my reply to the Deputy on 13th May last. Boring for wells is covered under the category of investment described as "fixed installations and equipment".

All genuine farmers, including genuine part-time farmers, are catered for by the farm modernisation scheme.

Mr. Haughey

All farmers?

Mr. Donegan

All genuine farmers. I do not know if the Deputy would describe himself as a genuine farmer or not.

Dr. Gibbons

Would the Minister not agree that the House has been informed on previous occasions that the third category of farmers would be given some grants? According to the answer he has given now they are excluded.

Mr. Donegan

What does the Deputy describe as third category farmers?

Dr. Gibbons

This relates to the question. Those who are not commercial farmers and those who are not in the farm modernisation scheme.

Mr. Donegan

I will not answer that one for the simple reason that I am merely answering for the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. I will ask the Department to get in touch with the Deputy and give him the information.

Mr. Callanan

The Minister's answer is slightly confusing. I believe that 50 per cent of their earnings must be from farming and that anyone whose off-farming employment earns him a lot more than what he is earning on the farm would not qualify.

Mr. Donegan

All genuine part-time farmers can get into the scheme. These would normally be people who started off as farmers but who, in the course of time, found that the farm did not provide an adequate income and had to seek income from employment outside the farm. On the other hand, persons who hold land but whose main profession is clearly not farming, doctors, engineers, veterinary surgeons and so forth are not eligible for the scheme.

Mr. Callanan

I agree about doctors and the others. Even in the case of the person who genuinely has to go out to work if the income from his off-farm employment is a good deal higher than what he could possibly get from his farm he can be excluded.

Mr. Donegan

The definition I have read, as given to me by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, is fair and correct. Those are the people who started off as farmers but who in the course of time found the farm did not provide an adequate income and had to seek income from employment outside the farm. Those people are obviously part-time farmers and they are in. I have told the Deputy who is out.