Northern Ireland Assembly Flax Flower Logo

MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2000
HELD IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS

1. Rural Development Regulation - Accompanying Measures Plan
2. Date and Time of Next Meeting

Present: Dr IRK Paisley MP MEP MLA (Chairman)
Mr G Savage MLA (Deputy Chairman)
Mr B Armstrong MLA
Mr J Dallat MLA
Mr B Douglas MLA
Mr G Kane MLA
Mr G McHugh MLA
Mr I Paisley Jnr. MLA

Apologies: None received.

In attendance: Mr M Wilson
Mr P Moore
Miss K Hewitt

The Chairman called the meeting to order at 14.40.

1. Rural Development Regulation - Accompanying Measures Plan

The Chairman advised members that he had written to the Minister on 15 September and that a reply had been received from her 30 minutes before the meeting had begun. Copies were distributed to members.

The Chairman declared the meeting open to the public at 14.45.

Four DARD officials: Mr Tom Stainer, Economics Division; Mr Ronnie Jordan, Grants and Subsidies Division; Mr Ian McKee, Environmental Policy Division; and Mr Malcolm Beattie, Forest Service were called in and examined. The Chairman apologised for the delay in opening the meeting.

Mr Jordan provided answers to the questions posed at the meeting held on Friday 15 September. He advised that:

1. that only 4% of the total SDA and DA area was 'common land' (30,000 ha out of 790,000 ha);

2. that the number of farms with less than 10 ha but more than 3 ha was 2600 and that the maximum loss to any farmer within this category would be £400. Mr Jordan went on to explain that the financial effect of including those in the 3-10 ha category would be approximately £1.20 per ha in the SDA and 60p per ha in the DA in the long term (after the safety net was complete).

Mr Jordan further advised the Committee that these small farmers could be recompensed through the Woodland Grant scheme, or by letting their land through conacre to others.

(Mr Savage joined the meeting at 14.55.)

Members then discussed the following subjects with the officials:

  1. the prospect of small farmers losing out in the future if the 10 ha rule was applied to other programmes;
  2. the position of those mainly in intensive farming who do not need large holdings.

    3. (Mr McHugh and Mr Paisley Jnr. joined the meeting at 15.00.)

  3. whether the Department's policy was to actually shut down small farms and how the Department was encouraging the smallest producers to look at alternative approaches with a long term restructuring goal to farms of a larger size;

    4. (Mr Dallat left the meeting at 15.05.)

  4. the percentage of the 2600 farms which lay west of the Bann (DARD to respond);
  5. the effects on rural communities should farmers be forced out of farming; and
  6. whether the policy actually missed new TSN objectives through ignoring the needs of the most disadvantaged farmers.

(Mr Paisley Jnr. left the meeting at 15.25.)

The Chairman summed up members' views by asking the officials to convey the following to the Minister:

  1. that the Committee had no intention of changing its recommendation regarding the 3 ha lower limit;
  2. that the Minister must consider and prepare an early retirement plan in the future; and
  3. that the Committee was most concerned at the number of 'losers' anticipated when the new scheme was introduced, particularly the 2600 farmers who were going to be excluded from receiving payments altogether.

The Chairman added that a short letter to the Minister would also follow.

The Chairman thanked the officials for their attendance and frank responses to questions and closed the meeting to the public at 15.55.

Mr Paisley Jnr. re-joined the meeting at 15.55.

Resolved: that the Committee should immediately issue a press release (as agreed by members at the meeting) on the recommendation to reduce the area eligibility to 3 ha and write to the Minister reiterating the points made in the letter of 15 September.

Top

2. Date and Time of Next Meeting

Resolved: that members should complete their consideration of the Dogs (Amendment) Bill early on Friday 22 September, before taking evidence for the pigs and beef inquiry. Accordingly the meeting should commence at 09.30.

The Chairman brought the meeting to a close at 14.10.

Top

Ian R K Paisley
Chairman

15 September 2000 / Menu / 22 September 2000