Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the new grant scheme will be available for farm waste management; the discussions which she has had with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on streamlining the planning process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12551/06]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Following receipt of the required EU approval, the revised farm waste management scheme was launched by my Department on 24 March 2006. Application forms, together with the accompanying terms and conditions, are available from the local agricultural environment and structures, AES, offices of my Department and are also available on my Department's web-site.

Among other changes which have now been approved by the EU Commission, the scheme: increases the standard grant rate from 40% to 60%, with 70% being available in the four zone C counties; is extended for the first time to include horses, deer, goats, pigs and poultry, and mushroom compost; permits all small farmers to participate in the scheme by the removal of any minimum income requirement from farming from the scheme; provides for an increase in the maximum eligible investment ceiling from €75,000 to €120,000; and extends the maximum income unit ceiling from 450 to 650 income units, with no upper limit being applied in the case of investments for pigs and poultry.

I am particularly pleased that the EU Commission has been prepared to recognise the need for differential treatment of the four zone C counties — Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim and Monaghan — where a 70% standard grant rate is now applicable for animal housing and slurry storage compared to the new 60% grant in other areas, and thank Commissioner Fischer Boel for her support for the introduction of this wide-ranging new scheme.

As the current EU rural development round finishes at the end of this year, applications can only be accepted by my Department under this revised scheme up to the end of December 2006. In view of this short timeframe for receiving applications, I have decided that where the proposed investment works require planning permission, applications will be accepted by my Department as soon as such planning permission has been applied for to the relevant local authority. However, approval to proceed will, of course, not be issued until a copy of the full planning permission has been received by my Department. This will enable farmers to lodge their applications while awaiting the receipt of the required planning permission. I am satisfied that the new scheme now provides an extremely attractive financial platform to help farmers meet the new investment requirements of the nitrates directive.