Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 386: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide a breakdown of a payment under the Common Agricultural Policy to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18513/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In the context of the reform of the EU sugar regime in 2006, EU restructuring aid was made available where a sugar processor renounced sugar quota and undertook to dismantle the associated sugar production facilities. The amount of the aid available was based on the size of the quota involved. The sugar processor concerned had to implement a restructuring plan including social commitments in respect of former employees and environmental commitments related to factory dismantling and site remediation. At least 10% of the aid was reserved for former beet growers and specialized beet machinery growers.

Following its decision to renounce its entire quota and close the sugar plant at Mallow, the company in question qualified for EU restructuring aid of €127m approximately under the relevant EU regulations and in accordance with a High Court ruling in the matter. The aid was paid in two instalments, €43.6m in June 2007 and €83.4m in February 2008.

This aid formed part of the overall EU sugar restructuring package which was worth a total of €353m to Irish beneficiaries. The other elements, which benefited the former beet growers, were the diversification aid and additional diversification aid (together amounting to €44m), the compensation incorporated in the single payment (€123m over 7 years) and the retroactive payments of restructuring aid amounting to €41m.