asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries why some sheep owners in the Mount Leinster area of County Carlow have been informed that they did not qualify under the lamb subsidy scheme in 1974; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Lamb Subsidy Scheme.
8.
Subsidy was not paid to some sheep owners in County Carlow under the mountain lamb subsidy scheme because they did not comply with the requirements of the scheme in regard to mountain grazing.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that, since the introduction by Fianna Fáil of this scheme, a number of the people concerned have been paid the subsidy? Has there been a change in the regulations and, if not, can the Parliamentary Secretary explain why people who qualified in the past for this subsidy are now disqualified?
There has been no change in the regulations. So far as Carlow is concerned, the position is that 14 applicants were refused the subsidy. Of those 14 eight agreed that they had no mountain grazing and signed declarations to that effect. Therefore the actual number disqualified was six.
This seems to me to be an admission that there has been a change in the regulations. Otherwise, how can the Parliamentary Secretary explain why people who qualified for the subsidy for the past three or four years are now denied it?
If any of the six qualified in the past three or four years this could only have happened because of political influence of the kind that used to obtain in this country.
What about 1973?
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.
What about the salmon licences granted in West Cork.
The Parliamentary Secretary may be interested to hear that some of the people who have been refused the subsidy are supporters of the other part of the Coalition Government.
Of the 14 who have been refused, how many received the subsidy during the past three years?
I cannot answer that.
Question No. 9, please.
The Parliamentary Secretary does not know.
Deputy Nolan informed us that——
The Parliamentary Secretary does not have the information.