asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if persons who have made applications under the Farm Modernisation Scheme, directive 159, who are classified as development farmers and who qualify for the acreage grant will be paid for the year 1974.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farm Modernisation Scheme.
21.
Under Directive 159, development farmers may qualify for guidance premiums where the development plan provides that the farm is to concentrate on the production of beef or sheep. The premiums will relate to the acreage to be devoted to beef or sheep production on completion of the plan and will be payable when it is evident that the necessary degree of concentration is being achieved. This will normally be, at the earliest, at the end of the first year of the plan when the position can be confirmed from the accounts which the farmer must keep. Farmers eligible for these premiums whose farm plans commenced during the past year may thus qualify for the appropriate payments during 1975.
Do I take it that farmers who qualified for payment of grants will have their payments made retrospective for 1974?
Yes. A farmer will not qualify for the money until a period of at least 12 months has elapsed from the time he commenced the plan and then the payment will be retrospective.