Vol. 512 No. 5
8 Mr. Ardagh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the value of net transfers from the EU under the CAP; the percentage disallowance from 1973 to date; the way in which this compares with the performance of other member states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26351/99]
Net transfers from the EU under the Common Agricultural Policy since we joined amount to £22.5 billion, of which £20.5 billion was drawn down in market supports under the guarantee section of FEOGA and £2 billion in structural measures under FEOGA guidance.
There have been disallowances for Ireland and other member states in respect of FEOGA guarantee. Disallowances for Ireland amounted to 0.5% over the period. This compares favourably with an EU average of 1.15%. Details of disallowances by member state and by year are given in the table which I will circulate in the Official Report, which is based on the formal decisions taken by the Commission.
The Commission has closed the accounts for the year up to 1995. For the years 1996-98, the Commission has completed the financial clearance – Ireland was included in the fast track group of member states in each of these years – but is still working on special inquiries in particu lar sectors. The results of those inquiries for all member states should be available next year.
Looking at the period overall, Ireland's performance was particularly good up to the late 1980s and early 1990s when systems came under stress at a time of collapse in the beef market. However, since then, there has been a steady improvement, particularly in export refunds which has recorded no penalties for several years and beef intervention.
%Allowances by Member State – 1973-1998
|
Belg. |
Den. |
Ger. |
Greece |
Spain |
France |
Ireland |
Italy |
Lux. |
Net. |
Austria |
Port. |
Finland |
Sweden |
U.K. |
Average |
|
|
Bef % |
Dkk % |
Dem % |
Gdr % |
Esp % |
Frf % |
Ir£ % |
Itl % |
Luf % |
Nlg % |
Ats % |
Pte % |
Fim % |
Sek % |
£ % |
||
|
1973 |
-0.52 |
-0.01 |
-0.37 |
-2.10 |
0.00 |
-0.37 |
-0.02 |
-0.86 |
-0.63 |
-0.54 |
||||||
|
1974 |
-4.07 |
-0.07 |
0.83 |
-2.32 |
-0.56 |
-0.36 |
0.00 |
-1.36 |
-0.84 |
-1.16 |
||||||
|
1975 |
-0.45 |
-0.04 |
-1.26 |
-10.15 |
-0.76 |
-1.69 |
0.00 |
-0.06 |
-0.13 |
-1.62 |
||||||
|
1976 |
-0.20 |
-0.01 |
0.02 |
-3.36 |
-0.34 |
-4.17 |
-2.39 |
-0.16 |
-0.63 |
-1.25 |
||||||
|
1977 |
-0.93 |
-0.03 |
-0.17 |
-2.64 |
-0.03 |
-6.15 |
-1.28 |
-0.06 |
0.63 |
-1.19 |
||||||
|
1978 |
-2.01 |
-0.01 |
-0.06 |
-0.91 |
-0.25 |
-7.92 |
-0.05 |
-0.08 |
-0.30 |
-1.29 |
||||||
|
1979 |
-0.66 |
0.24 |
-0.04 |
-0.69 |
-0.03 |
-1.87 |
-0.01 |
-0.09 |
-0.75 |
-0.43 |
||||||
|
1980 |
0.22 |
-0.39 |
0.02 |
-0.19 |
-0.03 |
-1.78 |
0.00 |
-1.65 |
-2.04 |
-0.65 |
||||||
|
1981 |
-0.08 |
-0.99 |
0.05 |
-4.71 |
-0.35 |
-0.95 |
-1.67 |
0.00 |
-1.25 |
0.43 |
-0.95 |
|||||
|
1982 |
-0.25 |
-0.87 |
0.00 |
-18.36 |
-0.25 |
-0.26 |
-0.70 |
0.00 |
-1.12 |
-1.15 |
-2.30 |
|||||
|
1983 |
-0.08 |
-0.96 |
-0.02 |
-1.77 |
-0.35 |
-0.16 |
0.11 |
-9.50 |
-0.88 |
-2.14 |
-1.57 |
|||||
|
1984 |
0.03 |
-1.00 |
-0.11 |
-0.07 |
-1.30 |
0.02 |
-0.77 |
8.54 |
-0.09 |
-1.78 |
0.35 |
|||||
|
1985 |
0.02 |
-0.68 |
-0.07 |
-0.97 |
-0.39 |
0.34 |
-0.76 |
1.28 |
0.54 |
0.15 |
-0.05 |
|||||
|
1986 |
-0.79 |
-0.22 |
-0.69 |
-3.60 |
0.14 |
-1.43 |
-0.01 |
-3.13 |
-1.11 |
-0.08 |
0.11 |
-0.20 |
-0.92 |
|||
|
1987 |
0.09 |
-0.47 |
-5.08 |
-1.13 |
-3.60 |
-0.83 |
-0.14 |
-2.32 |
-0.13 |
-0.20 |
-0.11 |
-0.39 |
-1.19 |
|||
|
1988 |
-0.52 |
-0.48 |
-1.39 |
-0.76 |
-0.82 |
-0.76 |
-0.11 |
-5.17 |
0.62 |
-0.43 |
-0.35 |
-0.55 |
-0.89 |
|||
|
1989 |
-3.72 |
-0.16 |
-2.58 |
-1.50 |
-4.43 |
-0.51 |
-1.25 |
-3.77 |
-32.83 |
-0.05 |
-0.88 |
-0.60 |
-4.36 |
|||
|
1990 |
0.67 |
-0.14 |
-0.13 |
-1.47 |
-20.65 |
-0.32 |
-0.20 |
-15.53 |
16.34 |
-1.32 |
0.36 |
0.31 |
-1.84 |
|||
|
1991 |
-0.17 |
-0.03 |
-2.41 |
-6.73 |
-16.75 |
-0.20 |
.0.44 |
-17.34 |
-1.22 |
0.03 |
-0.34 |
-0.13 |
-3.81 |
|||
|
1992 |
-0.21 |
-0.34 |
-0.53 |
-2.48 |
-7.08 |
-0.90 |
-6.41 |
-8.21 |
-0.73 |
0.11 |
-1.12 |
0.39 |
-2.36 |
|||
|
1993 |
-0.78 |
-0.01 |
-0.51 |
-2.50 |
-2.74 |
0.69 |
-0.17 |
-5.60 |
0.00 |
-0.33 |
-1.05 |
-0.64 |
-1.14 |
|||
|
1994 |
-0.89 |
-0.36 |
-0.43 |
-0.59 |
-0.22 |
-0.98 |
-0.29 |
-2.64 |
-2.51 |
-0.48 |
-0.74 |
-1.50 |
-0.97 |
|||
|
1995 |
-0.04 |
-0.02 |
-0.11 |
-1.65 |
-3.13 |
-1.18 |
-0.43 |
-1.12 |
0.00 |
-1.03 |
0.00 |
-2.19 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
-1.38 |
-0.82 |
|
1996 |
-0.01 |
-0.05 |
-0.03 |
-1.52 |
-1.14 |
-0.16 |
-0.09 |
-0.15 |
0.00 |
-0.01 |
0.00 |
-1.30 |
0.00 |
-0.04 |
-0.54 |
-0.34 |
|
1997 |
-0.01 |
0.00 |
-0.10 |
-0.04 |
-1.54 |
-0.04 |
-0.01 |
-4.67 |
0.00 |
-0.01 |
0.00 |
-0.08 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
-0.52 |
0.52 |
|
1998 |
-0.01 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
-0.64 |
0.00 |
-0.02 |
-0.10 |
-0.21 |
0.00 |
-0.03 |
0.00 |
-1.31 |
-0.02 |
0.00 |
-0.06 |
-0.16 |
|
average |
-0.59 |
-0.27 |
-0.65 |
-2.81 |
-4.77 |
-1.22 |
-0.49 |
-3.77 |
-0.96 |
-0.42 |
0.00 |
-0.75 |
0.00 |
-0.01 |
-0.61 |
-1.15 |
Recently, the Minister announced that an average of £13,000 per farm was paid by way of EU transfers. In the same press release, he indicated that because farmers had an outside income, farming was going well. It was the most remarkable statement I have heard from Agriculture House.
This is a statistical question.
I am trying to get the Minister to give me a proper answer about what is happening.
Not in this question.
Whatever the EU transfers, the Minister might enable us to tell farmers how he arrived at the conclusion that they were making money in a year when they have never been worse off.
We have moved away from the substance of the question.
Does the Minister accept that the inference in his statement about the £13,500 income per farm from the EU was grossly offensive to farmers whose incomes have collapsed by 20% in two years?
Again, we are moving away from the substance of the question.
Those calculations include items such as export refunds which have never directly put money in the pockets of farmers. Will the Minister use this opportunity to clarify the matter in which great offence has been caused to many farmers?
The Deputy is outside the substance of the question.
Under what headings did the disallowances occur? Where were the major disallowances? Were they in relation to FEOGA or at what level?
They were minimal disallowances at any rate. As I said, disallowances for Ireland amounted to 0.5% over the period which compared more than favourably with other member states – we are one of the better performing member states. I will circulate a table with the reply which will give the Deputy details of the disallowances. Since 1973 Ireland, as a member state, and the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, have been exemplary as a paying agent of the EU, and it is subject to EU audit through the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts. Ireland's performance has been quite outstand ing, the details of which I will circulate to all Deputies.
Will the Minister be specific? Is there a sector or area where moneys have been disallowed or is it a generalisation?
As I said, I will circulate a detailed table. Ireland's major disallowances were in the beef intervention area, for example, and more recently there have been some problems, but on a smaller scale, in relation to some of the premium schemes under which there were disallowances. There were disallowances under the suckler cow, early retirement and area aid schemes but at a very low level. Intervention was the largest area but there were also disallowances in some of the farm schemes.
