Members know how important it is to ensure that no money is squandered. Why, therefore, is £6 million being spent on the storage of meat-and- bone meal which is earmarked for incineration at temperatures of over 1,000°C? Would it be possible to have an incinerator in the Province that could be used for purposes other than getting rid of meat-and-bone meal - [Interruption].

Mr Armstrong, is that directly relevant to question 3? You know the procedures of the House. What you say must be relevant to the questions as shown, and that is not the case in this instance.

Funding could come from Peace II.

That is not relevant.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. In regard to the delivery and implementation of Peace II, can the Minister assure us that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will work closely with local communities to ensure that all projects in the next round, or as many of those as possible, have a positive outcome? We do not want to have the same difficulties as we had in the past with area-based strategy action groups.

The Department will go out of its way to ensure that there will be rationalisation. It has appointed a consultant to ensure that the regulations and access to the schemes will be clarified and made simpler for people. The Department is aware of the need to ensure that all groups - particularly farm families who did not avail sufficiently the last time around - will be enabled and encouraged to access the schemes that are available this time.

4.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to confirm whether pig farmers, who were refused assistance under the pig outgoers scheme, will have their professional fees reimbursed.

(AQO 1544/00)

No. All potential applicants to the outgoers scheme had to provide a professional estimate of the losses they incurred by keeping out of pig production for 10 years. When issued with an application form, applicants were advised that no aid, be it compensation for loss or for valuation fees incurred, would be paid if the bid failed.

I am very disappointed by that response. Around 80 farmers missed out on the pig outgoers scheme, and most of those had had to pay approximately £350 plus VAT to make those applications. That is a relatively small figure for the Department to find, yet it would help alleviate the losses incurred by those who did not gain support under the pig outgoers scheme.

I appeal to the Minister to reconsider the hard-pressed farming community, particularly the pig farmers, and show some compassion in this instance.

I am not sure that there was a question in there.

There very clearly was.

It appeared to be more of an appeal than a question.

There was no question in there. However, I want to make it clear that in the second outgoers' scheme, a large number of those who applied were successful. There were 282 successful applicants the second time around. I am pleased to say that that represents a high percentage.

It is unfortunate that some outgoers suffered the loss of the professional fee. It would be great if we had the money to pay for all of that, but we made it clear at the time that if they did not succeed in the tendering process, then we would not be in a position to pay. As in all elements of life, there is a certain amount of risk. I regret that we are not in a position to pay, but we made that clear in the beginning.

Out of the 517 original applicants, 87 were successful in the first tranche and 282 the second time. Therefore, only 148 out of the 517 did not make it.

When will the Department be able to pay those farmers who met the criteria in the second scheme?

The payments to those who were successful in the first outgoers' scheme are about to be made and will be worth £0·85 million to the 87 successful applicants. The payments to the 323 who were successful in the second outgoers' scheme will be made as soon as possible.

6.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail what co-operation she has received from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board to develop rural tourism as a key element in rural regeneration; and to make a statement.

(AQO 1556/00)

My Department has been working closely with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the Environment and Heritage Service and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure to bring forward a natural resource rural tourism initiative within the Peace II programme.

This initiative will form part of my Department's next rural development programme, which will run from 2001 to 2006. It will be administered by my Department in partnership with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, the Environment and Heritage Service and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. It is my intention to consult widely on this initiative shortly.

Does the Minister agree that the rural development branch of her Department has played a critical role in developing rural tourism as a key element in rural regeneration? Will she ensure that the setbacks arising out of the foot-and-mouth crisis are addressed, so that rural tourism in its various forms can be put back on track with the least possible delay? Perhaps the Minister would like to indicate the proposed target areas.

I will ensure that whatever assistance is required to help the recovery plan from the foot-and-mouth crisis in relation to support for rural tourism will be made available.

In attempting to identify the criteria for selection of the proposed target areas, officials have taken the rationale of the natural resource rural tourism initiative as a starting point. The rationale argues that parts of rural Northern Ireland are disadvantaged but have the potential to develop and sustain a strong tourism product based on their natural resources. It is considered that the core of the criteria should be rural areas that are, first, disadvantaged and, secondly, have an official designation in respect of their landscape or environmental qualities such as environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) or areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs).

As these designations relate only to natural features, it is proposed that the boundaries of the proposed target areas should be based on disadvantaged wards that overlap with ESAs or AONBs. This should be adjusted to take account of issues such as geographic coherence, socio-economic coherence, critical mass, existing tourism strategies, border location, equality of opportunity and community relations.

As the Member may know, the main AONBs are the Sperrins, the Glens of Antrim, the Mournes, the Ring of Gullion and Fermanagh.

Will the Minister comment on the rural regeneration side for which her Department is responsible? The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment is responsible for tourism and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure is responsible for the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster History Park at Gortin. How is the development of those enterprises to be co-ordinated with tourism and rural regeneration? It seems that there may be a danger of falling between stools in that each Department may think that the other is involved in dealing with the matter.

There has already been co-operation between all those Departments through their various agencies, and that will continue. We have our own Government now. Our own Ministers meet regularly in the Executive, and departmental officials work together - because of that, there will be a co-ordinated approach. We are already working with the Tourist Board and other agencies so as to co-ordinate our efforts to the best advantage of the area.

What meetings has the Minister had with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board about rural tourism, and what part will that play in helping to develop rural regeneration? The Minister mentioned areas of outstanding natural beauty, but she did not mention Strangford Lough. What place does Strangford Lough have in plans for rural regeneration?

An interdepartmental committee exists to co-ordinate and deal with these issues on a cross- departmental basis. All areas, including Strangford Lough, will be able to avail of tourism opportunities if they propose good projects in conjunction with their local councils. The whole aim of the rural development plan as it stands is to be as flexible as possible and to allow good projects to be considered.

7.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail how much money will be available through the new LEADER programme; and to make a statement.

(AQO 1560/00)

I am pleased to report that because of our successful bid for additional money from the Executive programme funds, it is now possible for my Department to undertake a £20 million LEADER+ programme. Of the £20 million available, 85%, or approximately £17 million, will be allocated to local action groups under Action 1 to support the economic development of Northern Ireland's rural areas. Approximately £2·2 million, or 11%, will be made available to local action groups under Action 2 to encourage effective co-operation between rural areas. Networking will receive 3%, and a further 1% will be allocated to the management, monitoring and evaluation of the programme.

As you are no doubt aware, my officials are working with the European Commission to obtain approval for the Northern Ireland programme. Negotiations are on-going, and it is hoped to secure Commission approval in the near future. The LEADER+ programme will be delivered by locally based partnerships known as local action groups (LAGs) which will be selected through a competitive selection procedure. I hope to commence the selection process by inviting applications in June 2001.

Any old lags?

Nags or LAGs?

I have had problems with nags as well lately.

Will the LEADER+ programme apply to all rural areas?

Yes. All rural areas of Northern Ireland will be eligible under LEADER+, which will be delivered by local action groups which must be selected through a competitive process. Therefore although all rural areas are eligible to apply, the selection process may not result in all areas being covered by a local action group. The programme defines the eligible area for LEADER+ as all parts of Northern Ireland, excluding the Belfast metropolitan area, the city of Derry/ Londonderry and towns with a population of more than 5,000. The programme will retain the flexibility to support projects located in urban settings in cases in which the projects will benefit rural areas and if it makes sense that they should be located in a town.

Does the Minister accept that the rural community network played an important role in assisting the rural community to apply for LEADER funding? Will all parts of Northern Ireland, including south and east Antrim, which have, to date, been excluded, be included in the rural community network?

I presume that the rural community network will be involved in managing the next tranche of funding, although the intermediate body has not yet been set up. However, I can assure the Member that I am anxious that all parts of Northern Ireland should have access to the funding that is available for rural development. In the previous tranche, some areas, through no fault of the Department, did not have access to the schemes that were available, and local departmental advisers are working to ensure that all areas have access to the funding.

9.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail how much money has been paid out through the rural development programme over the past three years and to provide an assessment of the contribution that it has made to rural communities.

(AQO 1566/00)

In the past three financial years, the rural development programme has paid out over £29 million and has been particularly successful in establishing networks and partnerships and in stimulating a high level of community involvement.

The programme has supported over 100 community- based projects, the nine area-based strategy groups have supported more than 1,300 projects, and the 15 LEADER II local allocation groups have supported over 2,000 projects. Around 450 new businesses and more than 1,000 jobs have been created, and another 900 jobs have been secured. For example, Slieve Gullion Courtyard received funding towards redevelopment costs to establish the courtyard as a quality tourism, residential, conference and hospitality venue. The rural development programme has made a significant contribution to improving economic and social life in rural communities.

I compliment the Minister's officials on the briefing that they have provided on the Slieve Gullion Courtyard. I know that the Minister has visited it.

The rural development programme is absolutely essential to the development of rural parts of Northern Ireland, not just south Armagh, but throughout Fermanagh, Tyrone and the Glens of Antrim. What objectives will the Minister set for the programme, and what are its likely themes for the period from 2001 to 2007?

I have visited the Slieve Gullion Courtyard; it is an impressive rural development project in a most beautiful setting.

The 2001 to 2007 programme of rural development support will constitute a series of partnership programmes with the European Commission, and I intend to bring forward a new six-year strategy before this autumn. The new phase of the rural development programme has been the subject of extensive consultation for almost three years. The level of interest in the programme that has been shown by the broad rural community is a measure of the Department's success in developing a genuine partnership with rural people. I am determined to build upon that through an expanded programme that will bring real opportunities to rural people - community organisations, farmers and their families and rural businesses. Funding for the new rural development programme is expected to be around £75 million, which will trigger a spend of over £100 million in rural areas.

Mr Neeson appears to be absent. I call Mr Kennedy.

11.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to confirm the ownership of the retaining wall erected as part of the Newry flood alleviation scheme at Kilmorey Street, Newry; and to make a statement.

(AQO 1536/00)

I am advised that by legal convention structures on land belong to the owner of the underlying land. The land at the location of the retaining wall was not owned or vested by my Department for the purposes of the scheme. Insofar as sections of the wall protrude into the Newry tidal river between the high-and low-water mark, I understand that the Crown estates have ownership, and Newry and Mourne District Council has ownership at other locations.

Will the Minister join with me in condemning those who have illegally erected an offensive Republican wall plaque at that location? Will she undertake to make representations to the various bodies to have it removed urgently?

I may or may not be correct that the Member is a councillor on Newry and Mourne District Council, which owns the wall.

Correct.

As a member of the council, he probably has more influence than a Minister.

As far as my Department and I are concerned, the plaque is not impairing the integrity of the wall as a flood defence or affecting the drainage efficiency of the river in Newry. Therefore there are no operational reasons for me to intervene.

Does the Minister condemn the plaque's existence?

I cannot allow Members to indulge in conversation. Mr Close appears to be absent. - [Interruption].

Order. I call Dr McDonnell.

13.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to give her assessment of the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's recent statement that the common agricultural policy would need to be fundamentally reformed and that subsidies should be decoupled from production.

(AQO 1559/00)

There are many pressures for reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP) arising from issues such as further trade liberalisation in the context of World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, enlargement of the EU and budgetary constraints. We simply cannot ignore those pressures, but we must face the need for some degree of reform.

However, any proposals for reform must be considered carefully and judged in relation to the long-term interests of the Northern Ireland economy, while also giving due regard to the impact on the agrifood industry, the environment, consumers, tax payers and society as a whole. My approach will be to fight for what is best for Northern Ireland.

On the reform issue, would Northern Ireland's interests be better served by alignment with the Republic of Ireland, rather than with the UK?

In relation to agriculture, there are many matters of common interest across the British Isles. There is significant scope for east/west as well as North/South dialogue and co-operation. On two occasions I have already discussed the topic of CAP reform and WTO negotiations with the Republic of Ireland's Minister for Agriculture, Mr Joe Walsh.

The topic is on the agenda for the next North/South Ministerial Council conference. Such contact is valuable in increasing our mutual understanding of the wider issues that we face.

I was to have asked question 14. As the Minister has given a substantial answer to question 4, at which stage I asked a supplementary question, I withdraw my question.

15.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail when she expects to announce the new rural development strategy and to outline her priorities.

(AQO 1570/00)

It is my intention that the rural development programme strategy for 2001 to 2007 will be announced this summer. The strategy is currently being considered by the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee. My priorities will be to continue, strengthen and expand on the work of the previous rural development programmes.

I aim to create a flexible programme that can identify the widest possible range of opportunity and need in rural areas, and either respond to or support it across the full range of community, sectoral, farming, agribusiness and associated activities.

I thank the Minister for her answer and for outlining her priorities. What will be the focus of the strategy?

The focus of the rural development strategy will be to target sectors of the community that require assistance such as women, the long-term unemployed, youth and farming families. The focus of the strategy, therefore, will be to assist in creating off-farm work, allowing farmers to reskill and retrain, allowing them to diversify and also to build capacity for under-represented groups.

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