Simon Coveney
Ceist:84 Deputy Simon Coveney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the rationale behind ending the installation aid programme and the farm retirement scheme in budget 2009. [37561/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 30 October 2008
Ceisteanna (86)
Freagraí scríofa
Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to focus available resources on the measures that allow us to maintain and grow the productive capacity of the agri-food sector. Because I had chosen to protect expenditure in certain areas, expenditure in other areas had to be curtailed. In relation to the Scheme of Early Retirement from Farming and the Young Farmers' Installation Scheme, I have made provision of €56.7 million to meet current commitments but, for the present, it has been necessary to close these Schemes to new applications.