asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will consider paying the increased rate of grant to qualified farmers in the newly-extended pilot areas in respect of improvement works carried out during the current year.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Improvement Grants.
46.
The arrangements under which grants at an increased rate are payable under the Farm Building and Land Project Schemes in Pilot Areas become operative from the date on which the Pilot Area Adviser takes up duty in each area.
In south-west Cork, the operative date is 1st October, and I take it the same date applies in other areas. It would be very unfair to farmers who are carrying out work which would qualify for increased grants and that, where the work has been started on 1st April, they should be deprived of the additional grants which are provided for progressive farmers. Would the Minister consider agreeing to the recommendation implied in the question of giving the benefit of the increased grants where the farmers are so qualified in respect of work carried out in the current year? The Minister will appreciate that the man who was approved for a farm building grant last April and who has not commenced work so far can qualify for the increased grant, but the man who has completed the job will not qualify. I would ask the Minister to review the position and, where the circumstances warrant it, so far as the progressiveness of the farmer is concerned, to give the additional grant in such cases.
There is a fly in the ointment. If we are to give them to people for the current year, what is the answer to those in the previous year?
No. The Minister will agree that in the previous year there was no question of the area being extended. I appreciate that the Minister cannot make this retrospective. I am only asking that this concession be given to people who are carrying out work in the current year, that is, the year commencing 1st April, 1967? I know the Minister is a reasonable man, and I have no doubt——
I shall consider it.