Vol. 270 No. 4
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware that there has been a serious delay in the payment of beef cattle incentive scheme grants in County Donegal; and if he will state the steps being taken to have all the arrears cleared.
30.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the reasons for the undue delay in the payment of beef cattle incentive scheme grants.
I propose, a Cheann Comhairle, with your permission to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together. There has been no undue delay in the payment of grants under this scheme. The vast majority of participants who have qualified for grants have already been paid. The remaining cases will be paid within the next few weeks.
Is the Minister aware that most of the people participating in this scheme were paid their grants prior to Christmas in other years and in this year very, very few were paid before Christmas? It has only been in the last couple of weeks, in fact nearly since the question went down, that people have been paid.
Of course this is not correct at all. In County Sligo there were 2,300 herd owners participating and before 31st December, £277,301 was paid or 1,947 of the applicants. Last spring, because of representation made by several Deputies in this House, I extended the time for applying. I gave an additional six weeks to apply and an enormous extra number came in in that time. We cannot have it at both ends because you must have two inspections. I think an excellent job has been done in the circumstances.
In Country Meath it was the same story and since the question went down a flood of payments have been made.
Nonsense.
The Deputy must ask a supplementary.
I had a question down and withdrew it because everybody that had been in touch to me was paid.
We cannot enter into the realm of argument.
Are the delayed payments not the result of the delayed second inspection? Is that not really the true cause which was perhaps in some way aggravated by the very useful extension of six weeks last spring? Would the Minister try to ensure that this second inspection is not delayed this year because it is creating hardship in another way for herd owners who want to sell their stock?
If Deputies of the House will support me in sticking firmly to an early application date——
No, no, no.
——it would then be possible to do it but there are limitations.
The delays are in the Department when the cattle are inspected.
We shall have to pass on. Deputies are being disorderly.
Further to my supplementary which was a very reasonable one, dealt with facetiously, may I ask the Minister to take the matter seriously because a serious situation has arisen in the past six months in that those who wish to part with stock that have not been inspected for a second time——
The Deputy completely misunderstands——
He does not.
——the way I have replied. I have not replied facetiously and I do not intend to be facetious about it. I am quite concerned that these payments be made as soon as possible but there are limitations and the time has to elapse if we are to deal with the thing as it should be done. In fact, it is a big improvement on previous performances.
Question No. 31.
I should like to thank the Minister for the statistics in regard to County Sligo but would he let us know how the average percentage for County Sligo compares with other counties, the Deputies from which did not ask questions?
Donegal.
All I can say is that if Deputies have problems they should let me know about them.
There is no point.
Would the Minister——
We must have some finality. The Chair has called Question No. 31.
One final question.
The Chair must be obeyed in these matters.
One very brief and final question and no more.
Very well, but let us make some progress.
Would the Minister be kind enough to say whether there is sufficient money available to pay the claims already made?
Tons of money, you will be glad to hear. Let me add that there has never been anything like the same amount of money paid out on the beef incentive scheme.
If you have it you are paying it very slowly.
Plenty of money and paid very quickly.
