Independent MEP Marian Harkin has described Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith’s comments concerning the refusal to extend the Farm Waste Management Scheme as unhelpful.

She said:-
“The Minister seems to have closed his mind to any possible solution on this issue.  The EU Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has stated in a letter to me that State Aid rules appear to deny such extension and that the Commission expects Ireland to strictly respect this deadline.  However in a subsequent discussion with a key EU official on the matter, it was suggested that there might be compromise – involving a definite signed building contract, with a fixed completion date, or that the Irish Government would apply for another State Aid in order to complete the schemes.

“The Minister seems very definite in his statements but I believe that if sufficient pressure was brought to bear on this matter there might be enough flexibility to resolve current difficulties.  Yesterday I received an email from Ms. Fischer Boel’s Cabinet suggesting that I and other MEPs who have expressed an interest in this matter should meet to discuss the ‘technical and political’ aspects of the closing date for works.

“The Minister needs to come clean on this issue and declare if his refusal to extend the schemes closing date relates to unwillingness to commit further exchequer funds rather than once again blame EU regulations for problems caused by the December 31st deadline.