asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will arrange that sheep farmers are paid the mountain subsidy immediately in view of the number still awaiting payment.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sheep Production.
9.
There is no delay in dealing with these payments and already 26,000 claims representing £1.9 million have been paid.
When I put down this question quite a number had not been paid. I know a man whose sheep were checked in August and he has not yet been paid. I take it that there are many, many others. Mountain people need this money urgently to buy foodstuffs for the rest of their stock.
I do not know what is the Deputy's definition of "many, many others". In Kerry there was an estimated total of 1,985 claims and 1,970 have been paid, leaving 15 outstanding. If the Deputy thinks that 15 represents many, many others he is entitled to that interpretation. I can say on behalf of the Department that the payments are well up-to-date and that, out of a total of 1,985, 1,970 have been paid, and they were paid before the Deputy put down the question.
This question has been down for a considerable time. I had one person in with me yesterday——
There are only 15 outstanding.
Will you have the 15 paid quickly?
Of course I will.
Within a week?
If everything is in order. There is loads of money in the Department.
The Minister said he had nothing.
Question No. 10.
10.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he is aware of the disastrous state of the sheep trade at present; and the steps, if any, he intends to take to remedy the matter.
I am informed that there are some difficulties in regard to the disposal of sheep for further feeding but this does not necessarily mean that the sheep trade is in a disastrous state. Sheep prices have fallen in recent months from their previous high levels but producers are protected by the fact that the export guarantee scheme which effectively puts a floor on the price of finished sheep is still in operation. In addition, sheep producers are in receipt of over £2½ million under the mountain lamb and hogget ewe subsidy scheme and the extension to the mountain lamb scheme.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary realise that a certain type of sheep farmers took 50 per cent less than they took last year in their income? Sheep which were sold at £16 last year were selling freely for £8 this year. This is the situation in the sheep industry. These are facts.
In any industrial activity prices are likely to change and you have good periods and bad periods.
Not to the extent of 50 per cent.
Not in industry.
There seems to be every reason to expect that prices will improve substantially in the coming months. I am sure Deputy Callanan will be pleased to hear that information.
Let us hope they will.
We are all hoping for big things in the coming months but I am talking about the man who changes his sheep every year in September or October. This year he took exactly half of what he got last year. These are facts.
Deputy Callanan could equate it to the swing of the political pendulum which is in our favour now.
It has gone out of your reach.
Question No. 11.
The farmers in Northern Ireland, Wales and Britain are jealous of us.
They are not jealous of us. They can come down to our place at any time.
I appeal to Deputies to allow the Chair to make some appreciable progress on a very large Order Paper.