Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Carlow who was a contractor for 34 years to the Carlow sugar factory will be entitled to compensation from the moneys allocated for that purpose from the EU. [6677/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The position is as set out in my reply to Question No. 1355 on 31st January 2007.

The restructuring aid must be implemented strictly in accordance with the relevant EU Regulations. Under the Regulations, eligibility for the EU restructuring aid for the sugar industry is confined to three categories: processors, beet growers and certain specialised machinery contractors who worked under contract for the growers. Eligible machinery contractors shall be compensated for the loss incurred following the loss of value of specialised machinery, which cannot be used for other purposes. In accordance with the EU Regulations, the Government in July made certain decisions concerning the implementation of the restructuring aid, in particular the percentage to be reserved for beet growers and machinery contractors. These decisions were announced by press release on 12 July 2006. The Government decisions are now the subject of Judicial Review proceedings instituted by Greencore Group plc in the High Court. If the person named was not a specialised machinery contractor who worked under contract for growers, he would not be eligible for compensation under the Regulations.