Paul Connaughton
Ceist:37 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the rules governing the control of farmyard pollution grants. [16915/99]
Written Answers. - Control of Farm Pollution Scheme.
The new national scheme for the control of farm pollution has been approved by the European Commission and is now in operation. The scheme provides for grant aid at the rate of 40 per cent in the less favoured areas and 35 per cent in the other areas subject to a grant ceiling of £10,000 for the construction of waste storage facilities, silage storage facilities, animal housing – bovines and sheep – and associated farmyard facilities.
The maximum grant of £10,000 will be reduced by the amount of grant aid taken up since 1994 on pollution control investments under the control of farm pollution scheme, dairy hygiene scheme and the farm improvement programme operated under the operational programme for agriculture, rural development and forestry.
The scheme is open to farmers with not more than 100 income units. Calculation of the income units takes account of all the enterprises on the farm and of any off – farm income of the applicant at the rate of £200 gross off-farm income per unit. In addition, at least 25 per cent of the income units must be derived from farming. It is a prerequisite to participation in the scheme that applicants are either participants in the rural environment protection scheme or have a nutrient management plan approved by my Department.
The scheme, as introduced, will provide farmers with the necessary support to improve pollution control on their farms, engage in more sustainable farming practices and protect the environment.
Austin Deasy
Ceist:38 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of times senior officials of his Department have meetings with officials from the Department of Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands or agencies attached to that Department to discuss the operation of the REP scheme as it pertains to the preservation of wildlife habitats such as hedgerows, wetlands and other habitats; if he will give details of these meeting held over the past two years; and the rank of the officials involved. [16952/99]
My Department has meetings on an ongoing basis with officials of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands on various aspects of the REP scheme. In particular, a principal officer of my Department chairs a committee which includes senior officials of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands, for the purposes of drawing up farming conditions to be applied under the REP scheme for various habitats. The farming organisations and Birdwatch Ireland are also represented on that committee. Conditions have already been drawn up for the Burren, for blanket bogs, heaths and upland grasslands and for sand dunes and machair areas. The committee is, at present, very close to finalising farming conditions for wet grasslands and corncrake habitats. When that is completed the committee will examine conditions for other habitats. In addition to the chairman, my Department is also represented on the committee by an agricultural inspector while a higher executive officer of my Department acts as secretary to the committee.