Vol. 539 No. 1
36 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of projects in the national development plan for which his Department is responsible which are not to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14534/01]
The national development plan provides some £4.3 billion for the agriculture, food and related rural development sectors over the period 2000 to 2006. The following summarises the relevant features: £3.4 billion is available under the CAP rural development pro gramme for rural environmental protection, early retirement and compensatory allowances schemes; £0.47 billion is provided under the border, midland and western regional operational programme and the southern and eastern regional operational programme for on-farm investment, diversification, general rural development and advisory services; £0.3 billion is available under the productive sector operational programme and the employment and human resources development operational programme for a full range of support measures for the food sector covering capital investment, research and development, marketing and promotion, and human resources. A further £0.12 billion is provided under these operational programmes for agricultural research and training.
My Department plans to proceed with all the relevant measures and the vast majority of these are already being implemented.
