Written Answers. - Slaughtering Industry.
Emmet Stagg
Question:
29
Mr. Stagg
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
if he has taken action on foot of the report by the Environmental Protection Agency on poor standards in the meat slaughtering sector; his views on the impact of these standards on the rise in BSE cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4967/02]
I believe the report to which the Deputy is referring is the EPA report on IPC licensing and control 2000 which was released last December. While the EPA reported on poor environmental standards in the meat slaughtering sector, these related for the most part to problems of noise and odour. It is very important to stress that the EPA criticisms were not BSE-related.
My Department has worked closely with the EPA in recent years and would concur with its aim of reducing the level of complaints and improving the environmental record of the sector. To this end, large scale investment in equipment and state-of-the-art environmental controls has helped improve the situation, particularly that of the rendering sector of the industry in recent years. The record of the sector shows a consider able reduction in the number of odour complaints from 1,500 in 1998 to 900 in 2000 and in the overall number of complaints generally.
My Department is also working with the EPA and the industry on the issue of minimum levels of discharge into the environment and much progress has been made in this area. Again, it is important to stress that there is no evidence that the environmental performance of the meat slaughtering sector poses a BSE risk and that the scientific steering committee of the EU has seen no evidence of a route of possible BSE infection through water or any other discharges.
Under the rural environment protection scheme, financial support for organic producers is provided under a supplementary measure for organic farming. The objective of this measure is to encourage producers to respond to the market demand for organically produced food. An organic farmer with 40 hectares in REPS can receive up to €13,280 a year, which includes payment of the basic measure, while a holding is in conversion to full organic status. When full organic status is obtained, such a farmer may receive up to €9,680 which also includes payment of the basic measure. In the first REP scheme, which had some 45,500 active participants when it closed to new applications at the end of 1999, 821 availed of the organic supplementary measure receiving over €28 million in REPS payments. Of the 14,397 applicants who have been admitted to the new REP scheme, 186 farmers have opted for the organic supplementary measure. I am hopeful that the take-up will considerably surpass the levels in the first REP scheme as farmers become aware of the commercial opportunities that organic farming offers.
Some €8 million has been allocated to the scheme of grant aid for the development of the organic sector, which was launched on 15 May 2001 under the regional operational programmes for the Border, midland and western region and the south and east region. The scheme provides grant assistance for both on-farm and off-farm investment in equipment and facilities for preparation, grading, packing, storage and distribution of organic produce. For on-farm investment projects, grant assistance is available up to a maximum of about €50,000. For off-farm investment projects, grant aid up to a maximum of about €250,000 is available.
There were 69 grant applications in the first tranche of the development scheme in June 2001, and so far my Department has given approval for grant assistance totalling €235,172. The scheme will be reopened for applications shortly and I look forward to receiving a substantial number of applications so that my Department can give further support to organic farmers and other operators in this expanding sector.
The organic development committee which I established in November 2000 will be making its report shortly, and I will of course give most careful consideration to any recommendations about these support measures that the committee may make.
