asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the amount paid to farmers under the scheme of grants for calved heifers for the period 1st April, 1964 to 30th September, 1966; the proportion of this figure paid to applicants with 20 or less cows; and the proportion paid to applicants with more than 50 cows.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Calved Heifer Grant.
33.
From 1st April, 1964, to 30th September, 1966, inclusive, 133,282 applicants were paid grants totalling £6,965,490 in respect of 464,366 heifers.
It is estimated that 85 per cent of the grants was received by applicants with original basic herds of 20 or less cows, and 1.5 per cent by applicants with original basic herds of over 50 cows.
Would it be true to say that in respect of each of the heifers for which a grant of £15 is being received, the farmer has lost anything from £20 to £30 in the realisation of the beast?
It would not be true to say anything of the sort. It is a well-known fact that Deputy Dillon prophesied this scheme would be a failure when it was introduced——
It has not been a failure; it has been a catastrophe.
——and he is continually mortified by its outstanding success.
(Cavan): Does the lower bracket group mentioned by the Minister include people who had no cows at all when the scheme came into force and who went into cows in a very big way afterwards?
No. The percentage figure mentioned for 20 cows or less, includes a very limited number of people who had no cows at all coming into this scheme. The average number of grants paid to applicants, however, to date is about 3.5, proving that, on the whole, the people who came into the scheme were people who added small numbers of cows to their herds.
And for every £15 they received they lost £25.
I should remind the House and Deputy Dillon that full statistics of the working of this scheme have already been supplied by me to every Deputy.