Vol. 236 No. 13
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he proposes to introduce any scheme to help those small farmers whose applications to be included in the small farms incentive bonus scheme have been rejected because their farms cannot produce an income of £750 per year.
28.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will extend the benefits of the pilot area scheme to those small farmers whose applications to be included in the small farms incentive bonus scheme have been rejected because their farms cannot produce an income of £750 per year.
29.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will introduce a scheme based on co-operative effort for the benefit of small farmers whose applications to be included in the small farms incentive bonus scheme have been rejected because their farms cannot produce an income of £750 per year.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 27, 28 and 29 together.
The Small Farm (Incentive Bonus) Scheme has been in operation only since May last and the proportion of applications which has had to be turned down so far, for the reason that the holdings are not capable of reaching the level of production at which they could be regarded as viable, has been very small.
Those who have failed to qualify will of course continue to have access to all the other schemes, aids and incentives which are available including the advice and guidance of their local agricultural instructor. It will also be open to them to re-apply to take part in the scheme at a later stage if their circumstances have improved in such a way as to bring them into the potentially viable category.
I shall be carrying out a full review of the scheme at the end of its first year of operation and in this review account will be taken of the position of farmers who have failed to qualify.
