Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 27 Oct 1993

Vol. 435 No. 1

Written Answers. - Grant Aid Requirements.

Godfrey Timmins

Ceist:

59 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason he now requires farmers who wish to apply for grant aid for development work to purchase concrete, sand and gravel from certified suppliers; the reason the process of certification has been entrusted to manufacturers' associations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

76 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason he now requires farmers who wish to apply for grant aid for development work to purchase concrete, sand and gravel from certified suppliers; the reason the process of certification has been entrusted to manufacturers' associations; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 59 and 76 together.

Over recent years my Department has introduced controls with the aim of ensuring that all grant-aided farm buildings are installed to a properly specified standard and at the same time securing good value both for farmers and tax payers. Standards have been set for testing and design of cattle-slats, metal cladding used in farm building work and the protection of structural steel.

Following consultation and liaison between my Department and the cement and concrete manufacturing industries a new "Concrete Manufacturers Specification Certificate" was introduced on 1 June of this year. The certificate includes all the necessary information on the supplied aggregates, on the quantity of cement and various admixtures, and also references to appropriate National or International Standards. Certificates are not required for sand or gravel, though such materials in the concrete must be to standard. To achieve consistency, high quality concrete requires a regularly-serviced plant with a full range of equipment, so it was therefore necessary to place some restriction on access to these certificates.

Manufacturers who apply for these certificates must show evidence, via a technical audit of their plant, that consistently high quality can be achieved. Manufacturers whose plant is close to the standards of the audit, and who are currently upgrading their equipment to meet these standards, also have access to the certificates.

As this has been a question of the concrete industry raising its own standards, the certificates have been jointly produced by the two associations involved: The Concrete Manufacturers' Association of Ireland; and The Independent Concrete Manufacturers' Association. Both associations hold stocks of the certificates, and keep records of those to whom they have been supplied. However, I want to make it clear that access to the certificates is not restricted to members of the association, but is open to everyone who complies with the technical audit. The audit itself may be carried out by the independent auditors to the associations, or by other recognised independent authorities such as EOLAS, or the National Standards Authority of Ireland.

I am happy that the new certification system will ensure the appropriate standard for concrete which is the major component in most farm structures. This can only be to the benefit of farmers.