asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, in view of the frequent damage done to inland fisheries by fish kills caused by the accidental spillage from farming installations, such as slurry pits and intensive pig farming units, he will request the Irish Farmers' Association to establish a compensation fund of £5 million to make good the damage caused by such accidental spillages; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Fish Kills.
1.
In view of the importance which I attach to this matter I have taken strong action to control farmyard pollution by making generous grants available to farmers for the construction of storage tanks for animal wastes and silage effluent. Primary responsibility for water pollution control rests with the Minister for the Environment and the local authorities. Regional fisheries boards are responsible for the protection of fisheries, including the protection of fish bearing waters from pollution under the Fisheries Acts. As my Department have no statutory role in the control of pollution, in the circumstances, I do not think it would be appropriate for me to take the initiative suggested by the Deputy.
I am aware that in the last 12 months, 22,613 applications were submitted to my Department for pollution control aid and approvals to proceed with work issued in 12,596 cases, involving total grants of £33 million and a total investment of £66 million which I think is an encouraging indication of the commitment of the farming community and the farm organisations to deal with this important issue.
I should like to thank the Minister for his reply. Having regard to the extensive volume of capital for which he has responsibility to combat rural pollution — he mentioned a figure of £66 million — I should like to ask the Minister if he agrees that that responsibility should be transferred to the Department of the Environment. In other words, I am asking the Minister if he agrees that slurry pits and other farm installations should be subject to planning permission with one Department having overall responsibility. Is it not possible for the Minister, having regard to the extensive discussions he had with farm organisations, to ask them to consider establishing a compensation fund to make good damage caused by accidental spillages even though he does not have statutory responsibility?
I appreciate the reason the Deputy tabled the question. In general I agree that there is a sense of urgency about this matter. I should like to point out to the Deputy that it is a condition attached to each application that planning permission be granted. I should like to assure the Deputy that I have had consultations with Teagasc in regard to this matter. Our advisory services are sharply aware of the need to protect the environment, water courses and so on when establishing such units. That was not always the case. I should like to assure the Deputy that I have been in consultation with the Minister for the Environment concerning the legislation he has before the House to ensure that we will have a pollution free environment. Of course, a pollution free environment is of more importance to our farmers than anybody else because of the premium prices paid for their products on the basis that they come from such an environment. I agree that this is a matter of national interest because we must take into consideration the tourist industry. I should like to point out to the Deputy that there was a dramatic drop in the number of fish kills notified last year compared to the previous year. I am satisfied that that trend is continuing.
I am grateful to the Minister for his extensive reply. I should like to ask him to use his influence with the farm organisations to try to get them to address the minority of their members who persist in using the rivers and lakes of Ireland as an open sewer. Will the Minister agree that, having regard to the huge sums of money given by the European Community to Irish farmers, out of the goodness of their hearts, if not their pockets, and having regard to the importance of a pollution-free agricultural industry, farmers should see their way to establishing a compensation fund as I have suggested? Will the Minister put that suggestion to them?
I should like to assure the Deputy that in the course of the regular consultations I have with all farm organisations, including Macra na Feirme, that issue is a priority. There is no precedent, as the Deputy will be aware, of a Minister recommending to farm organisations how they should raise money to deal with what is a matter of national importance. I am prepared to discuss any issue with them——
Surely the Minister is not intimidated by them.
I am not.
Will the Minister put that request to them?
I certainly will draw this to their attention. It is reassuring that so many applications have been submitted by farmers and that an investment of £66 million is involved.
If the Minister's concern that farms are brought up to a proper standard is so great, I wonder why farmers cannot get approval from the Department. In one county there are 130 files on a desk and they will be left there because there is no clerical staff to deal with them. That has been going on for two or three months. I accept the Minister's sincerity in regard to this but I wonder why he permits backlogs to build up.
The Deputy will appreciate that because of the encouragement I have given farmers through their organisations there has been a huge reaction resulting in 22,613 applications being submitted. I do not pretend that it will be possible to get all the staff necessary to process those applications as soon as they are submitted but I should like to assure the Deputy that this is a priority with us. We have dealt with more than half the applications and I am satisfied that we will be able to deal with the remainder very soon. There would not have been any problem when Deputy Connaughton's party were in Government because applications had not been submitted.
Several grants were available for farmers before the Minister came on the scene.
We are dwelling unduly on this question. I want to make progress on other questions and I should like to dissuade Members from asking further supplementaries. I will hear Deputies Stagg and Boylan, if they are brief. This is too ponderous.
Not for the fish.
All questions are important.
I am pleased to hear from the Minister that he is in direct and regular contact with the Minister for the Environment in regard to this problem. Will the Minister agree that this should be taken out of the Minister's remit and given to the Department of the Environment for control by local authorities? Will he agree that those authorities should be properly funded to carry out inspections to control pollution? Will the Minister agree that there is a huge anomaly in that planning permission is required for a septic tank for a human being but that a slurry tank catering for 10,000 pigs can be erected without planning permission?
I should like to assure the Deputy that the Government work in close consultation to achieve overall national targets. The Department of Tourism and Transport are involved, as are the Fisheries section and the Departments of the Environment and Agriculture and Food. We work on the basis of advancing the national interest through common action. I think we are achieving that as is evident from tourism, but in this case I have indicated that the Minister for the Environment has statutory control and responsibility in relation to administering penalties and whatever else. That is the way it will remain. If the Deputy is suggesting that a Minister who happens to be in close contact with the farmers should suddenly withdraw from it and not have a positive basis of persuasion to promote, which has been very effective, I could not agree with the Deputy.
Deputy Andrew Boylan, a final supplementary. We have been ten minutes on this question.
It is an important question.
All questions, Deputy, are important. I am seeking to make some worthwhile progress at Question Time.
The response from the farmers has been overwhelming as indicated. Having got the farmers to respond, and we needed to do that, is it the Minister's attitude that he has decided to cut the grants for this work? Will applications now lodged come within this——
The Deputy is injecting new matter into this question altogether.
It is the subject of another question.
Is the Minister's response to the farmers to cut the grants?
Order. Question No. 2.
I will deal with the question.