asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries when he will make 100 per cent grants to farmers for the construction of slurry tanks.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Slurry Tank Grants.
22.
I do not contemplate increasing the grants available under the farm modernisation scheme for the construction of slurry tanks.
Is the Minister free to do so if he wishes?
I have a further note which might help the Deputy. A preferential rate of grant for slurry tanks as compared with other agricultural buildings and structures would appear to be incompatible with the EEC action programme on the environment. This programme envisages that in principle the cost of environmental protection should be borne in full by the polluter and not through grants provided by the public purse. We put on some pressure to get permission to include slurry tanks in this grant aid from the EEC and we secured this.
Surely the Minister will agree that the pollution in this case is absolutely essential and that slurry tanks represent the only way of dealing with it. It is ridiculous to blame the polluter; he has to do it where there is silage involved.
The Deputy is making an assertion rather than asking a question.
Is the Minister aware that this is a different matter from pollution of another kind?
Of course the Deputy is correct but the grant aid for this is the same as it is for any other building and, unfortunately, I cannot increase it.