Róisín Shortall
Question:17 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, he has to reintroduce the dairy hygiene scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23328/97]
Written Answers. - Dairy Hygiene Scheme.
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:48 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, he has to reintroduce the dairy hygiene scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23322/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 48 together.
The mid-term review of the Structural Funds allocated an additional £8.5 million in public funds for the dairy hygiene scheme and this extra funding will enable existing commitments to be met under the scheme and at the same time ensure that farmers are paid as soon as work has been satisfactorily completed. A further £2.7 million of national Exchequer funds was granted in the recent Supplementary Estimate to enable all dairy hygiene grants maturing this year to be paid by the year end.
I will continue to monitor closely the progress of other large scale projects in the CSF as a whole to see if savings are likely to be identified which could be secured to enable me to introduce a modified dairy hygiene scheme.