Vol. 382 No. 10
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will make arrangements for the payment of substantial grants to farmers from the EC western package for the provision of holding tanks adjacent to silage slabs and silage layout schemes in order to eliminate the possibility of pollution from silage; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
12.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food whether he intends to introduce a nationwide scheme of grant assistance for anti-pollution measures carried out by farmers.
16.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when details of the new western package will be announced; the level of grant assistance which will apply for various schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
21.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when details of the new western package will be announced; the level of grant assistance which will apply for the various schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
22.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if grants for land drainage will be included under the new western package.
26.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the date on which the revised programme for the western package was submitted by his Department to the European Commission with a view to having it approved; if it has been submitted; if it has not yet been submitted, the proposed date for the submission; the estimated time it will take for examination by the European Commission before the plan will be finalised and sanctioned; when the provisions will be in force in the areas concerned; and whether all provisions will be brought into force at the same time or whether priority will be given to some measures like the grants for farmers for pollution control work.
35.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if it is his intention to have the 55 per cent grant aid for the control of farm pollution for silage effluent made available to all farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
37.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if farmers who exceed the quota will qualify for grant aid under the new western package.
38.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when details of the new western package will be announced; the level of grant assistance which will apply for the various schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
49.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason he has not been successful to date in extracting and putting in place the pollution control measures of the revised western package.
73.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if part time farmers qualify for grants under the new western package scheme.
74.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the new western package will come into operation.
75.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the different rates of grants under the new western package scheme; and where they will apply.
80.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the details of the revised western aid package will be given to farmers.
85.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will give details of the provision of £2.69 million which has been made available under the revised western package as it relates to the following designated activities:— (1) energy-producing and energy-saving projects and (2) off-farm activities intended to increase agricultural incomes, such as investments by farmers to provide services for others engaged in agriculture.
86.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when it is expected that the details governing grants for farm effluent storage and disposal under the revised western package will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 12, 16, 21, 22, 26, 35, 37, 38, 49, 73, 74, 75, 80, 85 and 86 together.
As the House will be aware, I announced on 24 June the details of the new measure to provide grant aid of 55 per cent for on-farm pollution control and 45 per cent for animal housing and fodder storage under the revised western package. These rates will be increased by one quarter for eligible young farmers. The scheme will operate outside of a farm plan and will be implemented from 1 July. The aid for pollution control will be available to dairy farmers regardless of their position on milk quotas. Part time farmers will also be eligible to apply.
New entrants to the farm improvement programme in less favoured areas who take out an improvement plan after 1 July will also be able to benefit from these higher rates of grant. Under the farm improvement programme grant rates of 20 per cent are available in normal areas for waste storage facilities. This is higher than the rates for fixed assets generally. Again, the additional aid for eligible young farmers will apply.
The programme to implement the revised package which will now operate in all the less favoured areas was forwarded to the EC Commission on 24 May. Before this programme could be approved by the Commission it was necessary to obtain the agreement of all the other member states through the standing structures committee. I think the House will agree that, having regard to the procedure which had to be followed, the delay in having the programme drawn up and approved was minimal. In fact, the Commission expressed their appreciation of the expeditious presentation of the programme by the Irish authorities and for my part I am happy to be able to record my own appreciation of the assistance and co-operation of the Commission officials in having the matter dealt with so expeditiously as to have the programme agreed on 24 June.
The ongoing scheme of land improvement under the package will continue, but the rate of grant will be reduced to 35 per cent for new applicants. The western drainage scheme will finally expire at the end of this year and while aid for drainage as such will not be available under the western package, aid will be given for drainage where it forms an integral part of a dry land improvement project. I may say that this approach is in line with present Community policy and has the support of the Commission.
I will announce, as soon as possible, details of other schemes which are to be implemented as part of the provisions of the revised western package.
I am delighted that at long last this revised package is in place and I hope it will be fully availed of by the farming community. Perhaps I should raise the question of the delay since the Minister mentioned it in his reply. Does the Minister accept, now that much of the silage has been made and other problems have arisen, that because of the delay in the introduction of this package the Minister and the Government bear a large measure of responsibility for problems that have already arisen during the course of this year?
No matter what is achieved one is always blamed for what has been done in the past. To the extent that there is any blame attaching, the Deputy should look behind at his own benches. I achieved a unique package in March of this year which had to get agreement from every member state and it applies nowhere else. The implementtation of the details of the scheme has to be worked out through all the structures of the committee, and anyone who knows anything about European procedures will know that this was the most expeditious programme ever achieved. Some examples of matters that have to be cleared with every member state are, first, that there will no longer have to be a farm plan; second, that dairy farmers will not be excluded — that is new and contrary to any EC proposals up to this — and, third, no longer will farm accounts be required. All these are new. So much else that has been done here is not just new but absolutely unique. Those who make complaints about delays should introduce themselves to the realities of European negotiations. They will find that the Commission were not just using words for the sake of it when they congratulated us on the expeditious manner in which we got through this unique package. In other words, the Deputy should not blame me for what did not happen last year.
Is it not the situation that this revised package was cleared by the Commission last November and that at that stage the very minimum that the Minister should have been doing was preparing the draft regulations so that they could have been submitted for approval immediately? Last March this was not done. The Minister has to bear a share of responsibility for the delay.
We are having repetition now.
What was passed by the Council in March had not been agreed by the Commission in November. The Deputy should check his facts and how things are done in Europe. There are some behind him who could tell him the realities.
The Minister for the Environment announced it in November.
What was agreed in March was the framework for the increased level of European Community funding which, in itself, was a major boost for this country at a level of 70 per cent.
The Minister applied for 50 per cent and the Commission gave 70 per cent.
What has to be put in place here is the details of the scheme. It is over now and it does not serve anyone's purpose to imply that there was a delay on our part. The Deputy can check with the Commission and the other member states.
I know my facts.
There are too many Deputies offering. If they will be brief I will try to facilitate them. I will call the Deputies who have indicated to me but I expect brief questions, otherwise I shall go on to the next question.
Will the Minister indicate to the House the extent of grant aid available to farmers in the non-disadvantaged areas for the carrying out of the kind of improvements set out in Question No. 11?
The question generally related to the western package. The extent of grant aid available to farmers in the non-disadvantaged areas which are not part of the western package is 20 per cent, which is 5 per cent higher than that which goes for normal farm development costs. That is the maximum available under the EC regulations. Also, in regard to the farm income survey which was published recently showing a 31 per cent increase generally in farm incomes, and the fact that there was a smaller income in the disadvantaged areas which is the other two thirds I am dealing with here, it is clear that in the interests of the farmers themselves — because it is their markets that will be influenced by this whole area of product presentation — those who can benefit from 20 per cent where they have had a 31 per cent farm income increase should do so.
I welcome the Minister's announcement of last week. Farmers should be congratulated on their efforts to deal with this whole pollution problem this year. They deserve more credit than they have been given. In regard to the 20 per cent that the Minister is talking about, is this on top of what they may have already got under the farm improvement scheme?
It is the farm improvement scheme. The only addition to that is that there would be 25 per cent surplus which has now been agreed for young farmers and that applies to all under 35. Where 55 per cent is the normal grant under the western package that is increased by 25 per cent to 70 per cent for all farmers under 35 and the same increase applies here. I would be the last to take from the farm organisations. In fact I have already today acknowledged that the farm organisations have taken a very responsible and positive position here but there are some small unrepresentative farmers who are doing irreparable damage. I have called together the farm organisations together with ACOT with a view to isolating those who could do terrible damage to farming interests and the economy generally and all aspects of our environment. I have no doubt that I will get full co-operation from the farm organisations.
On that point there has been a certain amount of hype in the media over this question of pollution, particularly with regard to 1987 when there were several very serious incidents, and I am sure we all condemn those incidents. Will the Minister advise local authorities and fishery boards not to over-react and not to have a witch hunt against every farmer who has a problem? People who have had planning permission for silage pits from these local authorities now find that they are being summoned and although they have shown goodwill and intent to rectify the problems they are still being pursued and there is somewhat of a witch hunt going on. I would like that commonsense would prevail so that good citizens are not hounded because of this over-reaction in the media because of what happened last year. Would the Minister please see to it that we have a certain amount of balance, not over-reaction?
Regrettably it was not confined to last year; it has happened this year as well. Where there is evidence that a small unrepresentative group of farmers, either through carelessness or selfishness, are undermining our environment which affects our environment for living, our tourism and our £3 billion industry and the perception of our products abroad which have given us the highest beef and dairy prices, then I, as Minister for Agriculture and Food, will join with my colleagues in taking the most stringent approaches. I know I will enjoy the support of the farm organisations.
Part of the question the Deputy raised related to the responsibility of other Ministers. I work in close consultation with the Ministers for the Environment, the Marine and Tourism and Transport but the regulations and prosecutions are not a matter for me.
What I am saying here is just prosecute the rogues but do not over-react.
I agree.
There are a few more Deputies offering. I again appeal for brevity.
The concern about the environment and the food industry and the farming industry is shared by those of us who live in cities. Can the Minister indicate the amount of money available under this scheme for the prevention of pollution and the provision of these holding tanks? How much of this money will be EC money and how much will be Irish taxpayers' money? Can the Minister also indicate if there is a time limit on the scheme itself? Will the scheme cease after a period? Finally, is there any obligation on farmers to take up the scheme?
There is an obligation on farmers to ensure that they comply with the law and we are strengthening the legal position there which was part of the common position of a Cabinet subcommittee on which I serve with my other colleagues. As far as the amount of money is concerned it might help the House to indicate that the original total for the western package up to the end of 1991 for a ten year period from the EC was £149 million. In fact, £60 million of that was drawn down after over six years. It is because I felt that the draw down was too slow that we renegotiated the package and included this element which was not there before. Now there will be £87 million to be drawn down between now and 1991. Of that, at the moment not less than £12 million to £15 million will be available just for this aspect of it. More will be available for infrastructures and land improvement, forestry, training and living conditions. I want to assure the House that following negotiations I have obtained agreement from the Commission to set up a monitoring committee so as to ensure that we draw down all of that money, and we have only two and a half years in which to do so, and if the pace is slower in one area than in another we can switch from one part of the envelope to another. That is a very important element of the new package.
Let me re-echo what has been expressed on the excellent efforts which are being made by farmers to control pollution. It is important that that be restated. There are two questions which I would like to ask the Minister. First of all, can he tell us if there is an upper limit on the amount of grant which may be made available and, if so, what is the figure? Secondly, can the Minister tell us when the house improvement grants under the western package come into operation?
I am glad to join with my colleagues in acknowledging the work which has been done by many farmers. In fact, I heard earlier on the news that the farming organisations, and this is the kind of action we want to see, have made arrangements for slurry disposal for farmers who apparently are not able to cope. That is the kind of action we want to see and we are going to get more of that co-operation. No upper limit has been set. Grant aid at 45 per cent will be provided for animal housing and fodder storage will be increased by one-quarter for eligible young farmers with grant aid of 55 per cent being provided for silage and slurry storage to be increased by a quarter for eligible young farmers. No farm accounts need be presented.
I now call on Deputy Enda Kenny.
Is there a maximum amount of expenditure which a farmer can incur?
While I have got rid of all of the red tape we will have to make sure that people will not try to use these funds for other purposes for which lower levels of grant aid are available.
What about the second part of my question?
Sorry, Deputy, I have called on Deputy Kenny.
I did not get an answer to the second part of my question, in regard to house improvement grants.
Please, Deputy Boylan, I want to deal with another question.
I would like to tell the House, although I negotiated the whole package, there are other elements in the package, some of which extend to other Ministers and thus are not for me to implement but they will be put in place very soon. Those elements which affect my own Department will be put in place very soon but, as we all agree, this is the first element which had to be put in place. The rest will follow very quickly.
When?
Within weeks.
Can the Minister tell us whether an income limit applies in the case of part time farmers who apply for assistance under the western package?
It is not necessary to present farm accounts. I have tried to abolish all restrictions. Income limits apply in relation to payment of headage grants but in this case I have got agreement that for this purpose no income limits will apply and no farm accounts and no farm plans need be presented.
