asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food whether he has conducted any assessment of the benefits obtainable to Irish farmers and our economy generally if maximum advantage were taken of all EC funded schemes in the agricultural sector; and if he will quantify the additional amounts recoupable from the EC (a) under the disadvantaged areas scheme if maximum allowable headage grants were paid to all qualifying farmers including those with off-farm income (b) under the farm retirement scheme (c) under the set-aside scheme (d) under the scheme for direct income aid (e) under the scheme for capital grants on full implementation of Directive 797 and (f) under any other schemes applicable.
Written Answers. - EC Funded Schemes.
49.
The present position is that the rates of EC recoupment for each scheme are fixed under the individual EC Regulations. As long as the rates remain at those levels, therefore, it is possible to obtain additional amounts by way of recoupment only if additional Exchequer expenditure is undertaken in the first instance.
However, the various FEOGA guidance measures will now fall to be reviewed in the light of the decisions being taken on the future levels and operation of the Structural Funds. It is expected that the EC Commission will be bringing forward proposals for revision of these measures over the coming months and that these will include proposals for adjustment of rates of recoupment to take account of the decisions of the European Council in February last. Until decisions are reached on the revision of the individual measures it is not possible to quantify the additional amounts that may be recoupable under particular schemes.