Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Written Answers. - Meat Plants.

Willie Penrose

Question:

118 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the extent in each of the years from 1994 to date of the transfer of State or EU originating funds under any heading to export meat plants; the amounts in each year transferred as Structural Funds, State aids, grants from Enterprise Ireland and on any other basis; the cost of veterinary inspection charges, net of those collected from the factories, in each of these years; the amount of training supports from FÁS for training staff in export plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5737/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

Meat traders in beef, pigmeat and poultry can benefit from a range of EU market support payments including export refunds, aids to private storage and beef intervention purchasing. In many cases the traders are the proprietors of meat plants but statistics of market support payments are not kept on a plant basis. The EU meat market support system currently pays out around £400 million per annum to Irish meat traders.

As regards capital grants these amounted to (£m)

Year	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
£	5.9	4.5	3.8	3.3	1.7	nil

The estimated cost of the meat inspection service net of inspection fees collected from meat plants for the years 1994 to date is (£m)

1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
13	11.2	12.5	6.9	14.6	15.45

The low figure for 1997 is explained by the fact that the fees collected from the meat plants in that year include a substantial element of arrears relating to previous years.

Grants from Enterprise Ireland and training supports from FÁS are not matters for my Department.