Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 25 Apr 1995

Vol. 451 No. 8

Adjournment Debate. - Farm Building Scheme Delays.

Mr. Ellis

I thank you for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment and I thank the Minister of State for coming in to reply to me.

In recent months farmers have been experiencing major delays with regards to approval for work to be carried out under the control of farm pollution and the dairy hygiene schemes. In many cases they have been told that they may have to wait up to 12 months before they receive approvals. Anyone who read the recent article in the Irish Farmers' Journal on the ratio of approvals to the number of applications will be aware of the tremendous backlog. The problem that this is causing to farmers is very evident. Farm building work is best carried out during the summer months but nobody can commence work without approval. It is urgent that the Minister and the Department make arrangements as quickly as possible for granting approval.

The problems being experienced by staff in the farm development service are not in the best interests of either the applicant or the staff themselves. The staff is under severe pressure from people seeking approval and in many cases they have to listen to insults when telling people they will have to wait six months or longer for inspection and approval.

The Minister might take the opportunity to redeploy the 75 extra staff from the intervention section, which no longer has a major role to play, to this work. The delay in granting approval is also causing delays in the application for REPS. Some months ago on Question Time I requested the Minister of State to promote the REPS scheme and it has made ground in recent times but the delay in approvals for building work which is an integral part of the REPS scheme will cause it to stagnate.

There may be a problem in the Department in regard to the financial allocation for this scheme as the take up appears to exceed the amount of money that has been made available in this year's budget for farm building grants. In the recent charter of farmers' rights issued by the Minister in conjunction with the Taoiseach it is stated that payments will be made within two months of completion and certification and that two months will be the maximum period people will have to wait for approval. How will the Minister or Minister of State be able to square the circle in regard to the money required or will final inspections be delayed as a mechanism to delay payments? I hope the Minister of State will tell me how long people will have to wait and that those who have been told they will have to wait up to 12 months will have their fears allayed, even if it means that this work will have to be contracted out, just as the REPS scheme, to companies that are sufficiently skilled to carry out the necessary preparatory work.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. Deenihan)

I thank Deputy Ellis for raising this matter. Since the launch last September, of the control of farm pollution (CFP) and dairy hygiene schemes under the Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry 1994-99, there has been a huge demand for grant aid under the CFP. This demand is driven by the fact that a CFP scheme has not been in operation since April 1992, the need for some REPS participants to have pollution work done under the CFP, the fear that funds will run out and pressures from local authorities and fisheries boards to address pollution problems. This exceptional demand has had a knock on effect in processing approvals under the other on-farm investment schemes.

To date over 17,000 applications have been received under the CFP scheme and nearly 3,000 under the dairy hygiene scheme. A total of 4,200 and 750 approvals have issued respectively. There have been problems in some counties due to staffing shortages. I am currently addressing these problem areas.

At the same time, the processing of approvals must be considered in the light of available funding. The funding allocation for the on-farm investment measures that is CFP, dairy hygiene, farm improvement programme and animal welfare schemes under the operational programme is £195 million up to 1999. This funding is allocated on a yearly basis. While in the light of funding availability it was recently decided to limit the new farm improvement programme (FIP) to investments in horticulture, it is important to note that existing commitments to farmers under the FIP will be fully met. This means that on the basis of approvals in recent years, some 3,000 FIP applicants can carry out pollution control works in 1995.

The large demand under the CFP necessitates an urgent review of the operation of the scheme in the light of funding availability, as already mentioned, and I will make an announcement on this issue shortly.

It is important to note that over the past five years alone some £170 million has been paid to over 30,000 farmers for pollution control works on their farms under the old CFP and FIP schemes. This represents an investment by farmers of over £400 million.

Some concern has been expressed at the effect the delay in processing CFP approvals is having on the rural environmental protection scheme. As already stated, over 30,000 farmers have been grant aided for pollution control works. In addition considerable numbers have already been farming in accordance with REPS standards for many years. These numbers will increase as new investment is carried out under the new CFP and old FIP schemes. Consequently, participation in REPS is not expected to be seriously hindered by any delays in processing CFP applications.

Mr. Ellis

Where do the 14,000 other applicants go?

The Dáil adjourned at 9.15 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 26 April 1995.