(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will reintroduce the lime subsidy scheme.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Lime Subsidy.
14.
There is no provision in the Estimates for a lime subsidy scheme.
(Limerick West): Is the Minister aware that the Minister, Deputy Deasy, did not apply for a continuation of that subsidy during the annual review of prices at EC level in 1984?
The EC lime subsidy operated from 1 May 1981 to 30 April 1984. It implemented Council regulations of 21 April 1981 establishing a common measure for the development of beef cattle production in Ireland and in Northern Ireland. The subsidy was £2.76 per tonne. The cost of the scheme for three years was £16 million. Half of that was recouped from the EC. A similar scheme would cost about £5 million per annum.
(Limerick West): Therefore, the Minister is aware that there was no application for the continuation of that scheme in 1984.
As I said earlier, that is something the Commission decide.
(Limerick West): The Minister did not apply for its continuation.
Another £8 million down the drain.
Is the Minister aware of the massive drop in the use of lime at present?
It is holding its own. The average lime consumption was about 1.65 million tonnes and in 1984 it was 1.7 million tonnes.
(Limerick West): To what year are those figures applicable?
From 1980 to 1984.
Would the Minister repeat the figures, please?
For the years 1980 to 1984 the figures respectively were: 0.95 million, 1.40 million, 1.60 million. 2.2 million and 1.7 million.
Clearly there was a huge decrease in 1984 compared with the previous year.
If the Deputy examines the figures he will realise that the figure for 1983 was very high.
Has the Minister any idea of what the figure has been for this year so far?
That figure would not be available yet.
I apologise to the Minister but I thought we were taking together the questions relating to AI and lime subsidy.
We are dealing only with Question No. 14.
Is the Minister aware of the effect on the lime companies, particularly the smaller ones, of the removal of the subsidy? The other Minister of State at the Department would be aware of the situation in the west in this regard. Would the Minister accept that, although there was a decrease from 2.2 million in 1983 to 1.7 million in 1984, the effect of the subsidy, though it was coming to an end in 1984, was significant and that from the middle of 1984 up to now there has been a significant decrease in usage as a result of the subsidy being discontinued? That is the information that the lime suppliers are passing to us. In these circumstances would the Minister endeavour to quantify for us the reason for the Government's decision to leave this money behind in Brussels?
The Deputy is talking about the west but he may not be aware that within the terms of the western package farmers who reclaim land can qualify for a base dressing of lime on the area reclaimed. The grant is 70 per cent of the approved cost and that is a facility the rest of us do not enjoy.
(Limerick West): That reply is not relevant to the question.
The original question is to ask the Minister for Agriculture if he will reintroduce the lime subsidy.
And the reply is "no".
Precisely, but that is not a forum for argument.
The Minister is talking about the western package.