Vol. 462 No. 4
9 Mr. B. Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has to provide additional resources for control of the farm pollution scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4624/96]
43 Miss Harney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of applications received by his Department under the control of farm pollution scheme on a county by county analysis; the number of applications which have been approved in each county; the number of applications withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4703/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 43 together.
I have set out in the following table the detailed information requested. In summary, by end January 1996, approximately 9,300 of the 18,500 applications received had been fully processed while 4,200 of the remaining applicants had been invited to submit drawings showing existing and proposed buildings, together where necessary with planning permission and consents. Similar action in relation to the remaining 5,000 applications commenced on 12 February and will be completed within the next few weeks.
Funds earmarked for 1996 and 1997 have been increased from approximately £20 million to approximately £60 million. The funds required to grant aid applications on hands which mature for payment will be provided but the reopening of the scheme to new applicants is not currently envisaged as there is a limit on the Structural Funds available.
Control of Parm Pollution Scheme.
|
County |
Number Applications to 27-4-95 |
Number Applications Withdrawn at 31-1-96 |
Net Applications at 31-1-96 |
Number Approvals at 31-1-96 |
|
Carlow |
140 |
15 |
125 |
96 |
|
Cavan |
1,058 |
35 |
1,023 |
420 |
|
Clare |
1,203 |
41 |
1,162 |
438 |
|
Cork |
1,006 |
64 |
942 |
478 |
|
Donegal |
970 |
14 |
956 |
567 |
|
Dublin |
31 |
1 |
30 |
19 |
|
Galway |
2,241 |
39 |
2,202 |
1,212 |
|
Kerry |
682 |
34 |
648 |
346 |
|
Kildare |
294 |
10 |
284 |
137 |
|
Kilkenny |
490 |
19 |
471 |
343 |
|
Laois |
446 |
40 |
406 |
170 |
|
Leitrim |
771 |
9 |
762 |
358 |
|
Limerick |
455 |
47 |
408 |
177 |
|
Longford |
634 |
27 |
607 |
290 |
|
Louth |
163 |
8 |
155 |
81 |
|
Mayo |
2,209 |
96 |
2,113 |
1,114 |
|
Meath |
482 |
22 |
460 |
173 |
|
Monaghan |
699 |
26 |
673 |
327 |
|
Offaly |
487 |
19 |
468 |
185 |
|
Roscommon |
984 |
26 |
958 |
325 |
|
Sligo |
675 |
8 |
667 |
278 |
|
Tipperary North |
334 |
66 |
268 |
139 |
|
Tipperary South |
453 |
24 |
429 |
140 |
|
Waterford |
206 |
8 |
198 |
106 |
|
Westmeath |
483 |
17 |
466 |
226 |
|
Wexford |
654 |
34 |
620 |
248 |
|
Wicklow |
206 |
19 |
187 |
106 |
|
Total |
18,456 |
768 |
17,688 |
8,499 |
Will the Minister give an assurance that the 650 applications from Cavan farmers submitted to his Department prior to 27 April last year will be approved at an early date? Given the severe drainage difficulties and the intensity of their agricultural production, special consideration should be given to new applications from Cavan farmers.
I intend to grant approval to all applications by Easter. To this end, I have released the remaining 5,000 applications and given instructions to the FDS offices to process them with due haste, particularly for farmers who have section 12 notices from local authorities or have genuine and urgent reasons to proceed with the work.
I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that there would not be a legal basis for reopening the scheme in Cavan and not doing so in the other 25 counties. In the unlikely event of Spain, Greece and Portugal not expending their Structural Funds and of extra money becoming available, I will be happy to lodge a claim for additional funding at the midterm review. I cannot reopen schemes unless I have adequate funding. I have already transferred all the moneys from the Structural Fund inflator and infrastructural funding for forestry roads to the control of farm pollution scheme and I cannot transfer any other funds to it. It would be wrong of me to make false assertions about reopening the scheme but if an opportunity arises to reopen it I will be only too delighted to do so.
I thank the Minister for the efforts he made to approve applications as quickly as possible. Some applicants will not be able to draw down funding under REPS if they do not get some other grant aid, even at some stage in the future. This applies particularly to farmers in Cavan-Monaghan who do not have slurry facilities.
The Deputy, who has made constant representations to me, will be aware that I have secured extra staff to deal with this issue. When the scheme was suspended on 27 April last, a total of 1,058 applications had been received from Cavan farmers. Thirty-five of these were withdrawn, giving a net total of 1,023 applications, while the number of approvals to date is 420. I will ask the district superintendent to do everything possible to expedite the remaining applications. I succeeded in extending the REPS rule from one to three years for CFP scheme work and there should be no problem in relation to entitlement under the scheme.
Will the Minister seek further funds for the scheme at the midterm review? As Deputy Crawford said, people will be debarred from taking up REPS. Given the commitment shown by him and the EU to REPS, will the Minister seek extra funding to allow those who are debarred to come into the scheme?
The Deputy will appreciate that I have to live within the resources available, and these resources come from the Structural Funds. I will not rehash last year's debate on the Structural Funds debacle except to say I cannot work the miracle of the loaves and fishes on this issue. I have given the CFP scheme the highest priority and I will avail of any future opportunity which arises to secure extra funding. With the benefit of hindsight, the rate of grant aid at 60 per cent was probably too high and it blew a fuse in terms of over demand. It would have been fairer to have a lower grant rate so that everyone could apply. Those decisions were made before I took up office. If the scheme was to be reintroduced the rate of grant would be lower so as to ensure that everyone would get something. If an opportunity presents itself to reopen the scheme I will do so but I cannot give any such commitment at this stage.
What is the net cost to the Exchequer of every pound paid out under the scheme?
There are VAT refunds and various incentives but the basic funding under the structural programme is 65:35.
