Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We do not have plans to introduce a farm drainage scheme, but one may be possible under the new rural development scheme that will be developed under the new Common Agricultural Policy. There is a good deal of lobbying among member states that have the opposite problem to Ireland in that they do not get enough rain. In the Mediterranean belt interests in the south of France, Spain, certain parts of Portugal, Cyprus and Italy are all lobbying hard to be allowed to spend more money on irrigation systems under the rural development scheme because they need water. We have had the opposite problem in recent years. We will determine the level of flexibility under the new rural development scheme to put schemes in place to do the work about which the Deputy is talking, but I do not want to promise too much at this stage. Under the current rural development scheme, there is nothing specific for drainage schemes.

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