Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Increased grant-rates under the Farm Waste Management Scheme were introduced by my Department with effect from 24 March last as follows: (a) a new standard grant-rate of 60%, with 70% being available in the four Zone C counties (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan) for both animal housing and slurry storage. The previous standard grant-rate for such work was 40%; (b) increase in the maximum eligible investment ceiling from €75,000 to €120,000 per holding; (c) introduction of a new 40% grant-rate for specialized equipment with specific environmental advantages subject to a maximum eligible investment of (i) €80,000 in the case of decanter centrifuge systems and dry feeding systems for pigs, and (ii) €40,000 in the case of specialized slurry spreading tankers and related equipment; (d) increase in the maximum eligible investment for standard mobile equipment from €11,000 to €15,000 with the grant-rate remaining at 20%. The price of steel used in the construction of farm buildings grant-aided under the Scheme is taken into account in my Department's Standard Costings which are used to determine the grants payable under the Scheme. These Costings are currently under review. Pending the outcome of that review, my Department's current Standard Costings are being used. I have already confirmed that the revised Costings, when introduced, will be applied to all approvals issued under the Scheme since 1 January 2006.