Young farmers’ eligibility for western grants
Treacy argues that young farmers are losing assistance and asks whether special criteria could be negotiated for the west after auditors found the criteria unclear. The Chair limits the discussion to interpretation of the EC regulation, and Spring offers no further substantive reply.
The Minister states that the purpose of the scheme is to supplement the cost of electricity supply where electricity was not already on the farm. Would he not agree that the ESB rural electrification scheme had previously brought supply to 99 per cent of all farms in the west? Would he further agree that this deal meant £10 million for the subsidisation of electrical connections in the west and that to date we have spent only about £1.5 million? When the scheme commenced young farmers were being given assistance but they are now being denied that assistance. The idea of the scheme was to stimulate agricultural growth and to keep people on the land, but due to the fact——
Comment on this
It is a very decent place. The Minister has stated that EC auditors claimed last year that the criteria were unclear. Is the Minister saying that he and his Department were not able to negotiate special criteria for the west in order to accommodate young farmers?