Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 18 Dec 1997

Vol. 485 No. 4

Written Answers. - Community Support Framework.

John Bruton

Question:

40 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way in which savings of 5 MECU were achieved in the amount allocated under the Community Support Framework to Ireland from the EU; the projects, if any, that had to be abandoned to achieve this saving; whether he has had any correspondence with the European Commission in this regard; if he will publish this correspondence; the implications of these savings for decommitting of funds for potential beneficiaries of the expenditure; when the Community Support Framework monitoring committee is likely to meet to discuss this matter; and if this represents a reduction in priority to animal welfare. [22663/97]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The package of proposals negotiated with the European Commission on the mid-term review of the Community Support Framework was agreed by the Government on 22 July 1997 and formally approved at the CSF monitoring meeting of 29 July.

The agreed package included the provision of additional EU funds of 28.5 MECU between the schemes for the control of farm pollution and dairy hygiene which are implemented under the Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry. The sum of 18 MECU of this amount was reallocated from the food sub-programme and 10.5 MECU from within the agriculture programme. The latter transfer included 5 MECU from the measure on improvement of animal welfare standards where expenditure in the 1994-97 period was very low due to technical difficulties in getting the schemes operational. A poultry scheme is now operating satisfactory and all commitments entered into will be fully met.