Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 3

Written Answers. - FEOGA Guidance Fund.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

99 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the finances which are being made available by the EC from the FEOGA guidance fund as contained in the Community support framework for the period from 1989 to 1993 inclusive, for payments in the severely handicapped areas; and the level for each year.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

100 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the finances which are being committed from the FEOGA guidance fund in the period from 1989 to 1993 inclusive, as set out in the Community support framework for marketing and processing; and the types of projects likely to be funded.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

101 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the finances which are being committed from the FEOGA guidance fund in the period from 1989 to 1993 inclusive, as set out in the Community support framework for on-farm investments; and the nature of such farm investments.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. O'Kennedy)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 100 and 101 together.

The Community support framework sets out the commitments from the FEOGA Guidance Section over the period 1989-93 for:

—the operational programme for the control of farmyard pollution;

—the operational programme for rural development;

—the operational programme for forestry;

—the western package;

—horizontal Community measures (under Objective 5 (a)) relating mainly to on-farm investment, headage payments in disadvantaged areas and marketing and processing.

In my reply to a similar question on 30 November 1989, I indicated the amounts committed from FEOGA Guidance Section in respect of each of these five headings. The Community support framework does not provide a more detailed breakdown or the annual amounts in respect of these five headings.

At this stage I expect that grants for marketing and processing will continue to apply to the range of projects which are currently eligible for assistance such as the construction and modernisation of beef, pigmeat, poultry and sheepmeat processing facilities, certain dairying processing activities, convenience food plants, grading and packing facilities etc.

With regard to on-farm investments, it is envisaged that the existing aids for these under the farm improvement programme and the western package will continue in operation. In addition, the operational programme for the control of farmyard pollution, which was introduced in August 1989, provides aid towards the provision of slurry and silage effluent storage tanks and for animal housing and fodder storage outside the context of a farm plan. It is also proposed to introduce a scheme of aid to promote alternative farm enterprises and a national agri-tourism scheme under the operational programme for rural development at present in preparation.