Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 May 1995

Vol. 453 No. 2

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Hugh Byrne

Question:

117 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the grant aid, if any, he intends to pay to small abattoirs over the next five years, in terms of the package announced last December for abattoirs slaughtering in excess of 1,000 units per year; and the further plans, if any, he has to grant aid over the next five years abattoirs who are slaughtering less than 1,000 units per year. [9146/95]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

The Food Sub-Programme of the Operational Programme for industrial development provides for grants of 25 per cent EU aid, or in the cases of abattoirs located in disadvantaged areas 35 per cent EU aid, and 5 per cent national aid in respect of eligible expenditure incurred in upgrading abattoirs slaughtering in excess of 1,000 livestock units per year to full EU standard. As a ceiling of £300,000 is placed on eligible expenditure the maximum total grants payable are £90,000 or £120,000 depending on location.

Abattoirs slaughtering less than 1,000 livestock units per year are not eligible for this grant scheme and there are no proposals to extend this scheme to these smaller abattoirs.

Hugh Byrne

Question:

118 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will specify the amount of grant aid from EU and national sources that have been allocated to meat export premises for the slaughter and processing of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry over the last two years; if he will outline the figures in terms of grant aid allocated towards slaughtering, processing packaging and the production of value added products and marketing on a yearly basis up to and including 1994; and if he will specify the investment, if any, he intends to make in this area over the next five years under the new programme for investment in the food industry, outlining a breakdown of figures for each of the years 1995 to 1999. [9147/95]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Yates)

Under EU Council Regulation 866/90 relating to the processing and marketing of agricultural products, the following amounts of grant were approved in the case of meat export premises for the slaughter and processing of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry over the last two years:

	EU	National
	Processing	Slaughtering	Processing	Slaughtering
	£m	£m	£m	£m
1993	5.84	0.605	0.84	0.055
1994	2.27	—	0.34	—
Total	8.11	0.605	1.18	0.055

The above figures include grants for packaging and the production of value-added products, for which separate figures are not available. No grants towards direct marketing expenditure are paid under Regulation 866/90.

The following marketing and promotion grants were approved by An Bord Tráchtála, CBF, and An Bord Bia in respect of meat export plants over the years 1993 and 1994:

	EU	National
	£m	£m
1993	0.249	0.194
1994	0.484	0.346

Under the Food Sub-Programme of the Operational Programme for Industrial Development some £69 million in public resources (£51.75 million and £17.25 million from EU and national funds respectively) is being made available for capital investment in the sectors referred to above. The amount will be spread evenly over each of the years 1995 to 1999.

In addition the sub-programme provides for direct and indirect assistance towards marketing and promotion for all sectors of the food industry.

The indicative annual breakdown of that amount for the years 1995-99 is as follows:

	EU	National
	£m	£m
1995	2.85	1.03
1996	2.64	1.24
1997	4.68	2.05
1998	5.75	1.91
1999	5.40	2.3