asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will give a detailed account as to how exactly the £3 million western package is being operated; how exactly money is being spent as between the various services; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Western Package Operation.
22.
The western package, which is designed to operate for a period of ten years from 1981 in western counties, consists of a number of measures relating to electricity, water supplies, agricultural roads, forestry, land improvement, the orientation of agricultural production, agricultural training and the marketing and processing of agricultural products. Details of the allocation of funds for each of the measures, of the aid available to participants and of the agencies responsible for implementing the various elements of this package are set out in a statement which I propose to circulate with the Official Report. I am also arranging to send the Deputy an informative booklet on the package.
The following is the statement:
Western Package: Allocations for the various elements and grant aid available.
Electricity
Total allocation: £12.9 million.
Grant aid: 80 per cent of capital cost of new, improved and three-phase supply to farms and to agricultural marketing and processing plants. In addition, aid is available for the improvement of certain selected ESB networks. This part of the package is dealt with by the Department of Industry and Energy and the ESB.
Water Supplies.
Total allocation: £38.2 million.
Grant aid: 80 per cent in the case of private group schemes, subject to a maximum of £600 per house and £400 per potential farm supply. Higher rates apply in the Gaeltacht and on off-shore islands.
Selected county council schemes qualify for grant aid of 80 per cent (90 per cent in the Gaeltacht).
Agricultural Roads.
Total allocation: £43.6 million.
Grant aid: up to 90 per cent farm roads (access roads).
Special assistance is also made available to county councils for local (county) roads. The water supplies and roads elements of the package are dealt with by the Department of the Environment and the county councils.
Forestry.
Total allocation: £18 million.
Grant aid: 85 per cent for farmers, 70 per cent for others; 80 per cent for forest roads; 80 per cent for shelter belts, with a maximum of £800 per hectare. Responsible agency is the Department of Fisheries and Forestry. The shelter belt scheme is administered by ACOT in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture.
Land Improvement.
Total allocation: £78.4 million.
Grant aid: 70 per cent for commonage division (including fencing and reclamation), hill and mountain pasture improvement and lowland reclamation (other than drainage). Eighty per cent for roads serving commonages and mountain and hill grazing. This item is handled by the Department of Agriculture.
Orientation of Production.
Total allocation: £58 million.
Grant aid: Forty per cent for farm buildings, 30 per cent for fixed equipment. In addition, an interest subsidy of up to 16 per cent on a loan of £100 per animal for two years is available to participants in the calf-to-beef scheme.
Agricultural Training.
Total allocation: £8 million.
Intention is to provide 200 extra student places at agricultural colleges and to construct 22 additional agricultural training centres and a resource development centre.
The Orientation of Production and Agricultural Training elements of the western package are implemented by ACOT in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture.
Marketing and Processing.
Total allocation: £35 million.
Grant aid: Fifty per cent from FEOGA, in addition to IDA grant of 16 per cent minimum. Applications are channelled to the EEC Commission through the IDA and the Department of Agriculture.
The balance of the funds earmarked for the package has not been specifically allocated.
Progress under the package is monitored by co-ordinating and advisory committees which are chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Leonard
Is the Minister satisfied at present with the progress of some of the measures, especially the calf to beef scheme? The number of applicants has been approved. Is he satisfied that it is making the progress everybody expected it would make?
I am not satisfied with the progress. I have been having an in-depth look at this since I came into the Department. I will be having an even closer look at it in the next few weeks. As far as I can see the calf to beef scheme has not taken off in the western area. It appears that there might be a better way of doing it.
Mr. Leonard
Would the Minister of State agree that the guidelines for the calf to beef scheme are very stringent? This scheme should have been of terrific benefit to the western counties but it is not. There is great potential there, especially when we have so much exportation of our calves. There should have been provision in this scheme to deal with this right through from calf to beef.
There are several variations of what we might be able to do with it. I will take note of what the Deputy says. We certainly should try to make it more relevant to the area for which it was intended.