asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will consider introducing a reconstruction grant scheme for piggeries.

Aid is available under the farm modernisation scheme for the construction of new farm buildings including pig housing. Aid is also available for the conversion of existing buildings to certain other uses, such as pig housing, provided the structure is sound, warrants conversion and, with certain limited exceptions relating to cattle housing and silage storage, has not previously been aided under the scheme. Similarly, aid is available for converting existing piggeries to other uses, subject to the same requirements. Aid is not available for the improvement or maintenance of existing farm buildings.

Perhaps the Minister did not appreciate the thinking behind my question. He will appreciate that there is considerable maintenance cost on existing piggeries. The replacement of insulation, and wear and tear are very expensive. Having regard to the fact that the industry has gone through a very difficult period over the last 18 months, many in it feel that, with the change of design and improvement in production techniques and so forth, the cost involved in the internal renovation of many of these piggeries, built ten or 12 years ago, is too expensive. To improve the efficiency, a grant scheme to assist and encourage would be more than welcome and certainly very useful to the people in the industry.

Currently the improvements mentioned by the Deputy are not included. I quite appreciate the tremendous cost involved in pig housing. I shall take a look at this matter vis-à-vis the new scheme, to see if anything can be done but, as the Deputy is aware, this was not included under the old scheme.

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