John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 496: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the grant aid which will be made available to small farmers in County Sligo to manage rainwater under the nitrates action plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11291/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The technical specification for farm buildings operated by my Department for the purposes of the Farm Waste Management Scheme requires the installation of adequate arrangements for the separation of clean and dirty water as part of the conditions of any new investment. This would include rainwater. In addition, I extended the terms of that Scheme in March 2006 to include the provision of grant-aid for the installation of guttering on existing buildings as a further new eligible item. As far as the new 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme is concerned, I have provided that grant-aid will be available under the new Farm Improvement Scheme for the installation of water retention equipment on farms. This Scheme will be introduced as soon as EU approval is received for the Programme.