Vol. 422 No. 5
22 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason grants for agricultural projects which were operated by the farm development services were cancelled by his Department without notice for applicants who had their applications acknowledged by the FDS which left many applicants disappointed; and if he will confirm that when this scheme is reintroduced, these applicants will be given priority.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the suspension of the Scheme for the Control of Farmyard Pollution and the Alternative Enterprise Scheme.
The position is that the sum of £70.5 million allocated for these schemes from the EC Structural Funds have now been fully committed. It is not possible therefore to deal with any further applications pending a commitment from the EC as to additional funding. In the meantime grants are available for a wide range of on-farm investments under the Farm Improvement Programme.
I am aware of the importance of these schemes for agricultural development. For this reason, in the programme being prepared by the Government for submission to the EC for a new allocation of structural funds, additional finance for these schemes will have priority.
