Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 45: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when she will announce increased grant aid for the provision of increased slurry capacity based on the number of weeks farmers will have to provide for under the new nitrates directive; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that time is of the essence, if farmers are to have slurry accommodation available for October 2005 and that they need approval immediately; if she has made any provision for grant aid to those with under 20 livestock units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14267/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is aware of the consultations in progress with the EU Commission regarding the implementation in Ireland of the nitrates directive. He is also aware of the substantial increases in grants for farm waste management introduced last year. Sustaining Progress allowed for improvements to be made to the grants available under the farm waste management scheme and this commitment was achieved by the introduction of a revised farm waste management scheme in January 2004. Consideration of further amendments to the scheme must await resolution of the nitrates programme discussions with the EU. As for applying the grant aid to those with under 20 income units, this has been traditionally opposed by the Commission when sought on previous occasions, but I intend raising the matter again in these new circumstances.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister advise when the nitrates directive will be agreed? This situation is causing major distress for farmers who do not know what they must do. The Government has proposed to Brussels that counties Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan have a 22-week storage period. Will farmers in those counties get the extra grant that is required? This is justified given that in counties such as Cork there is only a 16-week storage period. This is a major issue. These people must plan for this. They wish to co-operate but they need an indication that grants will be at a realistic level to ensure they can afford to remain in business.

Is it correct that the under-20 stock unit can be decided by the member state? If the under-20 units cannot get grant aid, it will be the end of many small farmers in western areas.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree the four counties with the 22-week requirement have a problem. In counties Monaghan and Cavan there are the additional issues of pigs and poultry. I have had an opportunity, with the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, to meet the Border regional authority, the producers and the national representatives. I have a major concern about this. I agree there is a special case to be made for those four counties. The capacity problem is causing great concern but we should be able to deal with it. My concern is that for some poultry producers the problem is not capacity, given that many of them have the 26 weeks, but access to spread lands. That is a major concern and we are examining innovative ways of dealing with this organic waste. There is a strong case to be made for the producers in those four counties.

I can only offer a guess on when finality will be brought to this issue but I believe it will be this month. From a practical point of view, if we are to implement something, we must have the time to do so, no matter what happens. If capacity must be increased, planning permission will be required and funding and building arrangements will have to be made. There are many things to be done and that takes time. Although people are anxious and some are overly anxious, we must keep steady heads. We will certainly look more favourably at the farmers with the 22-week requirement although we will not neglect other producers who also have a difficulty.

The 20 livestock units issue is a European matter. It is unfortunate. There is a view that such holdings are not viable farming enterprises. The directive has nothing to do with that; it is about water quality. It does not matter if one has two cows or 200, this is a water quality issue. I will put forward the view to the Commission that we must address the water quality issues, not the income viability of farming enterprises.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister's commitment on the under 20 units issue and I will be glad to support her in dealing with it. However, I seek clearer information on extra grant aid for the four counties concerned because they must provide a higher level of storage. Farmers must have some indication. A total of 75 dairy farmers in County Monaghan have left the business this year before the introduction of this directive. That indicates the desperation among farmers.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I cannot give an indication at present about grant aid. This is a matter of negotiation between me, the Department of Finance and the social partners. There is a particularly special case to be made for those who have a 22-week requirement. Equally, there is a case to be made for intensive commercial producers, particularly dairy producers in the south, who also have a problem, although not to the same extent as producers in the four counties mentioned.

The Deputy can rest assured that in a re-evaluation of grant aid and support, the four counties will be uppermost in our minds. The IFA has fired its first shot, seeking aid of 100%. That is unrealistic.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I only want 90%.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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We will examine a practical way of dealing with this issue and we will also examine alternative methodologies as well as the normal ones under the farm waste management scheme.