Vol. 379 No. 8
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the grants or other aids which are available to assist farmers in efforts to avoid water pollution from slurry or silage effluent; if his Department intend to take any sanctions against farmers who persistently breach pollution regulations, such as the withdrawal of grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
17.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food in view of the concern being expressed on all sides by the damage that pollution can do to the environment generally and to tourism in particular, if it would be an opportune time to introduce worthwhile grants for farmers to enable them to carry out the necessary modifications in their farmyards in line with the demands of the local authorities.
24.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in view of the serious level of pollution recently, he will make increased grants available to the farming community; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
38.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food whether he has any proposals to provide incentives for measures to prevent and avoid pollution outside the western package area.
47.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will consider giving 50 per cent grants to farmers, out of the present year's allocation for new farm development, to those who find themselves in difficulty with slurry pollution in order to alleviate this problem and to avoid any further damage to our rivers and lakes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12, 17, 24, 38 and 47 together.
Under the farm improvement programme grant rates of 25 per cent in less favoured areas and 20 per cent elsewhere are available for waste storage facilities, principally slurry and silage effluent. This is higher than the rates for fixed assets generally. In addition a 10 per cent grant is available towards the cost of slurry tankers as part of a storage and spreading system. The rates of grant available under the FIP are reasonably attractive and in view of the limited resources available for assisting on-farm development, it is not proposed to increase them.
The Council of Ministers recently at my request agreed proposals for a revised Western Package, including investment aid for basic livestock housing, fodder storage and associated waste storage with a FEOGA contribution of up to 70 per cent. The aid would be available outside a farm plan and would apply in less favoured areas in the country as a whole. Detailed implementation plans for the revised package are being drawn up at present and an announcement will be made when our implementation programme has been formally approved by the EC Commission later in the year.
While my Department have no statutory function in relation to pollution control measures, grant aid for farm investments with a pollution potential is paid only where adequate waste storage facilities are provided.
I welcome the support received from the farming organisations and their readiness to help in the Government's programme on water pollution. ACOT's role in advising and educating farmers in this area is particularly important.
I have directed that a review be carried out of the system of grant aid for anti-pollution measures to ensure that it makes the most effective contribution possible to preventing damage to the environment from farming activities.
Does the Minister accept that we have a very serious problem in that within the western package areas we have a scheme which will not operate at all this year and that outside the western package areas we have a scheme in which there is no money and under which people cannot get their grants? Will that not lead to a situation where cash will not be available in the western package areas or outside of them for farmers who genuinely want to invest in dealing with the causes of these pollution problems?
The Deputy is incorrect. Even without the introduction of the new western package scheme, what the Deputy has said is not true. I will be enhancing the rate of grant under the Western Package which will extend to all disadvantaged areas.
When?
The farm organisations recognise that those are the priority areas here and that other farmers and enterprise units are perhaps better equipped to control slurry than some of the producers in the disadvantaged areas. Farm organisations accept that priority must attach to the western and disadvantaged areas.
The Minister must not be talking to the farmers that I am talking to.
Did I understand the Minister to say that he is reviewing the present package of grants available particularly in relation to the control of the environment on farms?
Yes.
Will the Minister accept that the major difficulty in relation to pollution is associated with larger and more intensive operations and that where similar difficulties arise in industry there are very advantageous grants available to protect the environment?
I accept much of what the Deputy says although industry would say that the grants are not adequate in their case either. Because of the importance of this we have a Cabinet sub-committee on this issue. The Government are taking this very seriously. I will ensure that I will make my contribution to keeping our environment and waters clean. I appreciate the co-operation of the farming organisations in this matter. We have too much to lose and I, as Minister for Agriculture, will not see that being lost.
The Minister has no statutory duty with regard to river pollution but will he agree that what happened last year must never happen again? Would the Minister ensure that everyone is aware of the level of grants and of what they should do to avoid pollution? Many fishermen believe that they are now being asked to pay for the restocking of rivers polluted last year or the year before. Will the Minister assure us that he is working closely with the Minister for the Environment to make sure that information is available to farmers so that they can avail of grants to make sure that what happened last year will never happen again?
What happened last year was totally unacceptable. When we discovered the problem we took immediate action. We in Government are taking this very seriously. I am on a Cabinet sub-committee with my colleagues, the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for the Marine and the Minister for Tourism and Transport with a common purpose. We are determined to make sure that last year's experience will not be repeated.
Is the Minister satisfied that with the demise of An Foras Forbartha we have an independent monitoring system in place? I am very unhappy at the moment that we do not have independent policing in tracking down the cause of pollution, whether from the farmer or the municipal authority.
This responsibility for control, monitoring and regulation is not mine, as the Deputy is aware.
I would like to think the Minister has some say in it.
I do, but An Foras Forbartha is not my responsibility. We are using every possible means, including legislation coming before the House, to give us the necessary authority in this area.
Will we have independent policing?
A final supplementary from Deputy McCoy.
Can the Minister tell us when he intends to introduce the revised grants scheme?
That is a matter which will have to be discussed in the context of overall Government expenditure and as soon as it has been dealt with I will come back to the House.
Will it be before the summer?
We will now proceed to deal with Priority Questions.
