asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what alterations will be made in the land project grants within the EEC.
32.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Schemes Grants.
31.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what alterations will be made in the farm building grants within the EEC.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 32 together.
I would refer the Deputy to paragraphs 196 to 198 of the White Paper The Accession of Ireland to the European Communities, which set out the position regarding State aids to agriculture in the context of EEC membership. The question of such aids is dealt with in more detail in Chapter 13 of my Department's study Irish Agriculture and Fisheries in the EEC.
As indicated in the White Paper, the present position in the EEC regarding State aids does not require any automatic modification of our farm buildings scheme or land project.
Is it true that land project grants particularly will be restricted in that the type of land to be brought into productivity will be more closely questioned so that you cannot get grants for marginal land? If this is so, would it not be advisable for the Minister and his Department to step up work on the backlog of applications at present on hand?
There will be no radical change in the manner of selection of the suitability of jobs to be done under the land project or under the farm buildings scheme. What will be a determining factor in the selection of jobs for the land project and the farm buildings scheme is the potential viability of the enterprise being considered. That should be a consideration at any time.