asked the Minister for Agriculture the date on which costings for works carried out under the Farm Modernisation Scheme was last revised; the figure his Department are now using as the normal cost for two-bay hay shed and lean-to in order to calculate their percentage grants.
Written Answers. - Farm Modernisation Scheme.
636.
Because of the severe pressure on Exchequer resources it has not been possible to make any revision recently in the standard national costings used to determine the amount of grant-aid under the Farm Modernisation Scheme, the Western Drainage Scheme and the Programme for Western Development. The matter is, however, kept under continuing review.
The costings for land improvement were last revised in January 1979 on the introduction of the Western Drainage Scheme. In the case of farm buildings the latest revision in costings applied to projects approved on or after 3 December 1979.
It is not the practice to disclose details of the standard costings which are confidential.