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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 3 May 1995

Vol. 452 No. 3

Written Answers. - Portlaoise Office Staffing.

Liam Hyland

Ceist:

156 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason for the delay in appointing additional staff to his Department's Farm Development Service in Portlaoise, County Laois; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there are only two field staff available to service all Department schemes; his views on whether the delay in processing applications particularly REPS and control of farmyard pollution schemes is depriving farmers of development grants, thereby minimising the opportunity for job creation in the farm building sector which is mainly confined to the summer months; and when new staff will be appointed. [7940/95]

I am aware of the situation regarding field staff at my Department's Portlaoise office.

The staffing situation, not only at Portlaoise but at many other Department offices, is the subject of continuous and ongoing review by my Department's management to ensure that, within resources available, the best possible service is provided and, in particular, that applications are processed and grants paid with the minimum of delay.

Following my recent announcement that, due to the provision of insufficient finance under the Structural Funds, I was forced to suspend acceptance of applications under the control of farmyard pollution scheme, I have made arrangements for the setting up of a consultative group involving officials of my Department, the farm organisations and other interested parties to seek to establish priority categories and enable as many as possible of the 12,000 applicants under the scheme currently on hand to proceed with essential work.

Such priority categories could, in my view, include applications in counties where processing of applications has been particularly affected by Department staff shortages. I have asked the group to report as a matter of urgency and by the end of May at the latest.

To ensure that the suspension of the CFP scheme will have minimal impact on participants in the rural environment protection scheme all REPS participants, approved on or before 27 April 1995 who applied for grant aid under the CFP scheme, will have valid applications approved.

I would point out, in conclusion, that approvals already issued under the CFP scheme together with approvals issued under the other on-farm investment schemes should be more than sufficient to ensure adequate work for the farm building sector in the summer months.
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