asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will change the farm development and modernisation scheme so as to make it suitable to disadvantaged agricultural areas such as Connemara, County Galway.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Development Schemes.
9.
Farmers in the disadvantaged areas who meet the appropriate conditions are entitled to grants under the farm improvement programme. The main criteria for the programme are set out specifically in Regulation (EEC) 797/85 on which the programme is based.
The particular circumstances of the disadvantaged areas are recognised and provided for in the farm improvement programme under which higher rates of grant are available in all disadvantaged areas and some additional investment aids are available to farmers in the west of Ireland.
(Limerick West): Many of the schemes mentioned in the Deputy's question do not apply to farmers in the west of Ireland because they cannot meet the criteria laid down. Will the Minister make representations to Brussels to alter the qualifications so as to enable western farmers to qualify?
The new farm improvement programme is less restrictive than the old farm modernisation scheme was in the west.
Farmers cannot qualify for this scheme.
The Government should pay the people who are entitled to grants under the farm modernisation scheme. They should not be left in the lurch.
I should like to make it clear that all part-time farmers are not debarred. The scheme operates on a 50 per cent time and income basis. Deputies will be aware that in most cases the income of the spouse is not taken into consideration. The people over 55 years of age who were debarred heretofore are now entitled to apply for and get their grants. Those criteria are very important as far as the west of Ireland is concerned.
Will the Minister accept that the farm improvement programme has been a spectacular failure?
No.
How much money was paid out under the scheme this year? How much money was paid out under the farm modernisation scheme in the last 20 years?
They are separate questions.
For a big man the Minister's footwork is very good.
The farm improvement programme has been a failure.
The programme was introduced in February or March and, as the Deputy should be aware, many of the grants have not been paid out.
They cannot be paid out because of the amount of red tape involved. The Minister should unwrap the red tape that is holding back that programme.
The number of inquiries at the farm development services offices is encouraging.
It is obvious the Minister is not aware that £9.7 million was provided in the 1986 budget for the farm modernisation scheme. Is the Minister aware that £5.7 million of that money has not yet been taken up by the farmers and cannot be taken up by them?
I will answer that question on the last day of December of this year.
I should like to inform the Minister that his Department have told me——
I am not going to allow any more supplementary questions. Question Time has been very disorderly today.
The Minister should be ashamed of himself.