Vol. 424 No. 9
141 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has satisfied himself that in the previous tranche of EC Structural Funds the agriculture and food sector received an adequate proportion of assistance; the proposals, if any, he has to increase the proportion allocated to this sector for the period from 1994 to 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Community funding for agriculture and rural development as set out in the present Community Support Framework for Ireland amounts to almost 20 per cent of the country's total allocation in the period 1989-93 and represents a significant increase on funding previously available.
My Department is currently engaged in formulating proposals for the next round of Structural Funds by means of evaluations of the effectiveness of existing programmes and measures together with an examination of new areas which might be considered suitable for aid. While a final strategy will depend on a number of factors including the results of the evaluations and the level of overall EC funding, my objective will be to secure sufficient funds to meet the structural needs in the agriculture and food sectors and in the area of rural development.
