Smith to push through €195m extra funding for farm waste scheme

AGRICULTURE Minister Brendan Smith is to seek the approval of the Dáil for a supplementary estimate for his department of €195 million this year to provide additional funding for the Farm Waste Management Scheme.

Mr Smith said the supplementary estimate would be moved this week, and this decision of the Government to agree to a supplementary estimate is an “acknowledgement of the outstanding success of the Farm Waste Management Scheme”.

The minister said that the amount of grant aid paid for the scheme in 2008 was already in excess of €180m.

Mr Smith said given his previous commitments to review the funding requirement for the scheme, the supplementary estimate will mean the exchequer will now be making available approximately €377m in grant aid to farmers this year under this scheme. This is in addition to €113m paid in grants in 2007.

Mr Smith said the level of current investment by farmers and the state was “a statement of confidence in Irish agriculture, a sector for which the prospects are good, particularly with global food demand projected to more than double over the next 40 years”.

Mr Smith reminded participants of the need to have work completed and the necessary documentation submitted to his department by the December 31, 2008 deadline.

And yesterday Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Tony Killeen launched an online service, Integrated Forest Information System (IFORIS) Internet, which will be available to approved foresters and forestry companies.

The service will allow approved foresters to track online the processing of forestry applications that have been submitted to the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It is an extension of the IFORIS computer system, that was developed for the Forest Service for the processing of forestry pre-approval, grant and premium applications. IFORIS also includes digital mapping of grant-aided forestry already planted.

Launching the service, Mr Killeen said: “The new service is the first phase of a planned development for IFORIS Internet. The second phase will enable foresters and forestry companies to submit pre-approval applications online on behalf of their clients. This will streamline administration issues for foresters and the forest service.”