asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement on the number of farmers in the Connacht-Ulster constituency awaiting approval for reclamation and drainage grants.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Reclamation and Drainage Grants.
16.
The total number of applications received for drainage and reclamation grants in the Connacht-Ulster constituency up to 30 September 1979 was 15,000, and almost 4,000 approvals had issued. The balance are in various stages of investigation.
Will the Minister give the number of applications that are awaiting approval as distinct from the number of applications?
Of a total application list of 15,000, 4,000 have been approved. The others are at various stages of inspection.
Is the Minister satisfied that the residue of 12,000 yet unapproved, unprocessed applications, is much too high, and what is the Minister doing about it?
There is no unnecessary delay, but the Deputy will appreciate that, having succeeded in getting this special grant money from Brussels for the west including Donegal, the number of applications is quite enormous and they will be dealt with. The figures may be somewhat misleading in that they suggest that only 4,000 of the 15,000 have been dealt with. That is not the case. Of the remaining 11,000 a great many of those may have been approved since this reply was drafted last week. They are going through the normal course of ratification for grant aid.
Will the Minister think before being so sure that this is just a normal procedure? Will the Minister have a further look at things, because they are far from normal? The delays are abnormal and many farmers are frustrated at the situation that obtains in regard to this matter. I would ask the Minister to also consider the situation of the contractors who are standing by with deals made——
Question No. 17. This is a statement, Deputy.
I would ask it in ten parts, but this is just to save the Minister getting up and down like a yo-yo on each part. This is an all-embracing and very important question.
One of the difficulties is, not that machinery will be standing idle but that there is not enough machinery. At the moment this is one of the bottlenecks. I will bear the Deputy's observations about the delay factor in mind and I will ask the Department to look at it.
I would ask the Minister to go into the situation and find out, as I have found out on a much smaller scale, that things are far from normal and that delays are frustrating, with the lack of approval, the lack of certification after the work is done and the delays also in paying the people who are standing around but soon will not be able to stand around if they are left without their money as long as they have been.
I am sure that most Donegal farmers pay their debts.
It is the Department that are not paying them.
The contract is between the farmer and the contractor.
The contract is between the Department and the farmers as well.