Jimmy Deenihan
Question:16 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications when a grant under the ESB/Government rural electrification subsidy scheme will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Written Answers. - Farm Development Grants.
Jimmy Deenihan
Question:26 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the future plans, if any, he has for the electrification scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
P. J. Sheehan
Question:33 P.J. Sheehan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications when he will finalise all outstanding grants due to the ESB for rural electrification aid; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many applications are held up by the ESB until he clears up all outstanding accounts.
Jimmy Deenihan
Question:72 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications when a grant under the farm electrification scheme will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
Pádraic McCormack
Question:73 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications the position regarding the EC farm development subsidies for supply of electricity to outlying farms or to farms which need an increased supply of electricity for milking parlours and other such functions; and whether this EC farm grant is still available for supply of electricity.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 26, 33, 72 and 73 together.
Grant aid towards the cost of installing and upgrading supply on farms in disadvantaged areas has been provided for more than a decade under the original EC funded Feoga Western Aid Programme and, latterly, under the Exchequer funded Farm Electrification Grants Scheme. However, due to developments in the agriculture industry both at national and international levels, the relevance of the scheme has become less clear. In 1992 just under 500 grants were approved.
When the present scheme was introduced in 1990 an allocation of £500,000 was available to grant aid the cost of completions. In 1992 and 1993, however, budgetary constraints have reduced that amount to £150,000.
Mindful that the scheme may not be focused correctly and taking into account the constraints imposed by the budgetary allocations, I am considering the future options for the scheme.
In relation to Deputy Deenihan's question there is no record of an application having been received in my Department from the person named.