Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last year the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform allocated €1.6 billion to agriculture, food and marine. A significant amount of that allocation was aimed at delivering the high level goal of income and market supports to underpin the rural economy and environment. That particular amount was €874.1 million. What was surprising to me, however, was the fact that a further €356.7 million was spent on agricultural policy and strategy. I fully accept that we need to have good and robust policies in place but does this not seem like a disproportionate amount, especially in light of the overall spend on actual financial supports being delivered to farmers and the rural economy? This is something I have concerns about, especially in the context of the public service performance report. Last year’s report highlighted the pilot programme of equality budgeting within a number of Departments. This process is supposed to track the progression of policies that aim to advance equality, reduce poverty and strengthen the economic and social rights of citizens. How is the equality budgeting concept being implemented with reference to agriculture and the rural economy? Is it reducing poverty and strengthening the rural economies? We need to know the answer to that given the level of expenditure being directed to that Department.

On community employment, CE, scheme supervisors, we know the Labour Court ruling in 2008 recommended that they be afforded occupational pensions. Is provision being made for those supervisors? That issue has dragged on for far too long.

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