Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 9: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the grant aid which will be made available to small farmers to manage rainwater under the nitrates action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40496/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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A revised farm waste management scheme was launched by my Department on 24 March 2006, as part of the arrangements to enable farmers to meet the additional requirements of the nitrates directive. The principal changes to the scheme include an increase in the standard grant rate from 40% to 60%, with 70% being available in the four zone C counties; an extension of the scheme for the first time to sectors such as horses, deer, goats, pigs and poultry, and mushroom compost; the removal of any minimum income requirements from farming from the scheme so that all small farmers can participate in the scheme; and an increase in the maximum eligible investment from €75,000 to €120,000 per holding.

The technical specifications for farm buildings operated by the Department for the purposes of the scheme require the installation of adequate arrangements for the separation of clean and dirty water as part of the conditions of any new investment. This includes rainwater. In addition, I have added the installation of guttering on existing buildings as a further new eligible item in the terms of the revised scheme.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for her reply but how will she ensure the guttering item will be in place by 1 January 2007, which is the legal requirement, as she knows? That seems to be the big difficulty. For many small farmers rainwater management will be as big an issue, if not bigger, than slurry management. It is frustrating for farmers because they must pay for water supplies to their farms, while in some circumstances they will also have to pay for the dirty water coming off their farms. Will the Minister issue specifications for the storage of clean water? No such specifications are currently available. Technical advice is available within the Department and scientific advice is available from Teagasc, but no farmer can get specifications for the storage of clean water or rainwater, rather than having to pay for it through a meter.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy knows, he is moving on to discuss another subject, which is not under my auspices but comes within the remit of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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No. I am talking about the specifications.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Water metering is a controversial issue but alternatives that could be used by farmers, including rainwater, will be examined in the context of ensuring efficiencies within the farming sector.

With regard to the storage of clear water, the farm waste management scheme dealt specifically with soiled water and slurry. I expanded the scheme to allow for other necessary works to be carried out on the farmyard, following issues that were raised by farmers in all the local meetings I have held with them.

With regard to specifications, at the end of the day, this is a matter between Teagasc and the Department. Both Teagasc and the private planners have available to them all the specifications needed in order to have entitlements under this scheme and they have been forthcoming. We have worked with farmers to ensure that, within the realms of possibility, everything that can be done to support them will be done. As the Deputy knows, that has happened in the context of the rules and regulations provided.

The Deputy is slightly flippant in saying the issue of rainwater will have to be dealt with by 1 January 2007. Issues still have to be finalised concerning the farm waste management scheme. Lest it be said otherwise, my view regarding rainwater is that the majority of farmers are dealing with the issue of clean water as opposed to soiled water. Under the farm waste management scheme the emphasis has been placed on soiled water, waste and slurry.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Minister mentioned a ceiling of €120,000 including work done recently on some farms. Is there any room for leeway on an upper limit, given the situation in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency, represented by Deputy Brendan Smith and me, for those involved in intensive pig farming as well as dairy farming? Will €120,000 be the maximum or can herd number be accepted in addition to pig number?

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I will need to get clarity on the issue of pigs but I do not think there is a limit on the pig installation — it is an overall limit of €120,000. I do not wish to mislead the House so I will have to get the information requested by the Deputy later.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is not a trick question.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I understand, I simply do not know the answer and must get it for the Deputy.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I wish to return to the questions I asked earlier. Will the Minister ensure storage specifications are made available regarding clean water storage? She is correct that rainwater is not part of the system at the moment, but if it happens to fall on the ground it becomes soiled water and becomes part of the specifications, which we wish to avoid this as much as possible. If the Minister is not prepared to provide grant aid for such storage facilities she should at least provide the specifications so that farmers, if they wish, can build them and ensure they have the capacity to meet requirements.

The vast majority of farmers are unaware that, as the law stands, they must have guttering replaced or installed on existing buildings to manage rainwater and clean water by 1 January. I do not know if the Department of Agriculture and Food will implement this or any other section of the legislation but farmers are concerned because they still do not know the specifications nor the implications of the rules and regulations.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The rainwater and clean water directive was introduced in February 2005.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Why did the Minister not issue the booklets to farmers then?

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Every farmer reads the Irish Farmers' Journal. It cost a fortune to take several pages in the Irish Farmers' Journal on these issues.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Not all farmers read the Irish Farmers' Journal; look at the circulation figures.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Rainwater is not part of this issue because it is clean water, not soiled water or slurry.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Until it lands.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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On landing, if it mixes with livestock faeces, urine, silage effluent, chemical fertilisers, milking parlour washings, washings from mushroom houses or water used in washing farm equipment, it is considered soiled. Once soiled, there is a regulation and a specification and that is what must happen. Clean water has no specification, soiled water has a specification and slurry has a specification. It is very simple and is available to farmers — the specification is part of the scheme and part of the application form.

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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We must get legal advice on this.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Legal advice is too expensive.

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I made my money in slurry.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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I am tempted to say something but I will not.

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The information was posted to farmers during the summer.