Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 447: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she is satisfied that there are sufficient rural development programmes available to safeguard the rural population in view of the massive decrease in mushroom farms, deer farms or any of the other so called alternative enterprises that her Department promoted and grant aided over the past number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34197/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has implemented a wide range of alternative enterprise measures. I am satisfied that these have played an important part in the development of the relevant sectors. In conjunction with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, my Department will undertake a widespread consultation process on a rural development strategy and support measures for the 2007 to 2013 period. This will allow the future opportunities and challenges of the alternative enterprise sectors to be assessed.

In the specific context of mushrooms, the level of production has increased from 57,000 tonnes in 1997 to 65,000 tonnes in 2004. The Department has to date provided €2.5 million to growers for capital investments in buildings and equipment under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 and will be providing a further €2 million this year. Funding under an EU producer organisation scheme is also being provided and this year €5 million was paid to mushroom producer organisations.