Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 February 2004
171 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will provide a list of grant aid since 1999 to the poultry sector with particular reference to the egg packaging sector; and if he will highlight clear guidelines on grant criteria. [5115/04]
View answerA total of £680,309 was paid in 1999 and 2000 on a scheme of grant aid for the upgrading of egg packing centres. This scheme closed some years ago.
Applications were invited in June 2001 for grant assistance under the first tranche of my Department's capital investment scheme for the marketing and processing of agricultural products. With regard to egg-packing enterprises, grants were available towards the cost of providing new equipment for grading and packing of eggs and for modernisation or construction of packing premises. The scheme applied to approved egg-packing centres with an annual throughput of at least 20,000 cases and the minimum investment level was fixed at €100,000. Projects aimed at increasing production were not eligible. Three applications were received from egg-packing centres and all were approved for 40% grant aid. A total of €1.26million was approved and most of this has already been paid.
