asked the Minister for Agriculture if he considers it reasonable that payment of a grant should be refused to a farmer (details supplied) in County Leitrim; and if he will arrange to make payment of the grant forthwith.
Written Answers. - Grant Payment.
18.
It is a requirement for grant aid purposes under the Department's investment aid schemes that slats used in the contruction of livestock houses must conform to Irish Standard No. 249/82. The Department maintain a list of approved manufacturers of slats and slats supplied by a manufacturer on this list are accepted where the manufacturer produces a quality certificate for the appropriate type of slat, a sample of which was tested by the Institute for Industrial Research and Standards in the recent past. Where slats used were not made by an approved manufacturer, grant aid is normally payable only where samples are submitted to the IIRS for testing and the institute certifies that they conform to the standard. In the present case, the Department would be prepared to accept a certificate from a civil engineer which verified that, on the basis of a structural examination of a sample of the type of slat used, its construction and load bearing capacity are in accordance with I.S. No. 249/82. Grant aid cannot be paid unless this requirement is met.
The requirement that slats conform to the appropriate Irish standard is essential in the interests of safety.