asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is aware that there is a backlog of 700 applications, some for 12 months, under the farm modernisation scheme waiting to be dealt with at the farm development office in Monaghan; and if he will provide additional staff to deal with this situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Development Offices.
2.
During the past year, three agricultural officers have been added to the staff assigned to the farm development service in County Monaghan in order to deal with the backlog of applications received under the scheme. This number will be increased according as additional staff are recruited from a competition recently conducted by the Civil Service Commission.
Is the Minister aware that since this question was put down the backlog has increased? Would he give an assurance that in view of the provision of the new western drainage scheme sufficient staff will be recruited to process applications? Farmers are worried that because of the five-year limit on the scheme some applications might not be processed in time.
In the past 12 months, 65 agricultural officers have been assigned to the farm development scheme. Because of the increasing use being made of that scheme, the need for extra staff is obvious. A competition has been held by the Civil Service Commission and we are looking for extra staff to man these positions.
3.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if there is a general shortage of staff in farm development offices throughout the State; and if so, the action being taken to relieve the situation.
My Department are continuing their efforts to augment the staffing of the farm development service; 53 additional officers have been assigned to the service in the past five months bringing the number of staff now serving to 598. The number of officers on field work will be further increased according as additional staff are recruited by the Civil Service Commission.
Is the Minister satisfied that with his best efforts at recruitment and the general build-up of activity which is envisaged and which is taking place but should be taking place at much greater speed, there is any hope that the staff can be brought up to a level where there would be reasonable operations with regard to applications, examinations, inspections, approvals, and so on?
I am aware that, especially because of the western drainage scheme which arose out of last year's price negotiations, there will obviously be a greater need for better staffing throughout the western counties including our portion of Ulster. I am aware that, in an expanding situation, there will be certain pressures on the existing staff. I am also determined that the scheme will not suffer from the want of staff.
Obviously there will be a need for additional staff because of the western drainage scheme operations which were announced some time towards the end of last year. Has the Minister considered that it might be conductive to more efficient and faster operations with benefit to all concerned, if he thought of changing the operations and getting the applicant to submit his plans for drainage in specific cases?
That is a separate question.
They could be furnished by a professional engineer or some such person and the Minister's staff would only have to vet them and check them and tell them to go ahead and inspect the job when it was done.
I will take note of what the Deputy says. I appreciate that he is making his observations in a helpful spirit. His query will be dealt with by the Department.
Is the Minister aware that in the west, and in Donegal in particular, since the western drainage scheme was announced in the press last November activity in a real sense has been nonexistent? That is not the fault of the staff. There are not enough staff to do it. They have too much to do already.
I have a statistic here which might be worth giving to the House. The western drainage scheme has given rise to a very large increase in applications; 13,862 applications under the western drainage scheme in the first three months of 1979 as compared with 1,476 applications for land improvement under the farm modernisation scheme in the corresponding period of the previous year. The increase is almost tenfold.
Having regard to the figures the Minister has given, is he aware that applications made on the day the advertisements appeared have not yet been acknowledged?
There are difficulties of which the Deputy is aware. I mean the postal strike. There is also the tactical problem of dealing with the overflow. It would not be tolerable that there should be a permanent backlog of applications. The Department of Agriculture will take any necessary measures.
With your permission, a Ceann Comhairle, I should like to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy this afternoon.