asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will give details of grants in excess of £500 paid by his Department and the names of recipients in each of the following categories: (a) grants to farmers under the land project (b) grants to encourage the production of beef cattle (c) subsidy on mountain lamb (d) livestock headage premiums and aids to joint investment projects (e) payments in respect of storage, freezing, handling, transport and other charges and (f) the subsidy on phosphatic fertilisers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Grants.
24.
It has not been the practice to give the names of individual recipients of grants or subsidies.
As regards grants paid direct to farmers, the records kept by my Department do not provide the information sought except in the case of the beef cattle incentive scheme and the extension to the mountain lamb subsidy scheme. In the first ten months of 1975, the number of persons who received grants in excess of £500 under these two schemes was 703 and 70 respectively.
In the case of the land project and sheep subsidy grants the task of providing the information sought would involve the examination of a very large number of applications and, as the Deputy will appreciate, would be time-consuming and expensive.
Under the scheme of cattle headage grants to farmers in severely handicapped areas, the maximum grant payable to any individual applicant is £300. No grants have so far been paid in respect of joint investment projects.
Payments in respect of storage, freezing, and so on, do not involve grants but represent charges arising out of market intervention. Subsidy on phosphatic fertilisers is paid to manufacturers, importers and main wholesalers and not direct to farmers. Subsidy payments exceeding £500 on phosphatic fertilisers have been made to 14 firms in the first ten months of 1975.
Is the Minister in a position to tell me the maximum headage grant permitted to the disadvantaged areas under the directive?
£300.
By the Minister?
Yes.
What is it in relation to other countries?
I do not know.