asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the reason for the abnormal delay in payment of Beef Cattle Incentive Scheme grants and Cattle Headage Scheme grants in each county; and if he will make provision to have these outstanding grants paid.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Scheme Grants.
28.
The great majority of beef incentive scheme grants had been paid by mid-December last. The balance remaining at that time were in the main problem cases involving special inquiries.
Inspection of over 60,000 herds under the cattle headage scheme was not completed until towards the end of October, 1975. Almost 75 per cent of the grants have now been paid and the bulk of the remainder will be cleared by the end of this month, with the exception of problem cases that had to go back because forms were wrongly filled in.
Would the Minister give me the figures of the outstanding amounts? I put this question down on being approached by numerous constituents, people who were expecting to have their money paid before Christmas and who are still waiting.
They were expecting miracles. There were 60,000 applicants in a new scheme——
I do not think anyone could say the Minister is guilty of miracles. Why did he not bring the other counties up to the standard of Mayo? People in other counties are fed up waiting for payments.
This accusation about Mayo has been thrown across the floor of the House. The reference is to the time of the by-election. At that time payments had been made in respect of 139 herds and in the meantime £1.3 million has been paid in Mayo. This is typical of what a hopeless Opposition have been throwing across the House.
Will the Minister give us the figures of the dates of payment of grants throughout the counties?
That is a separate question.
In the course of the reply I told the Deputy that almost 75 per cent have now been paid and that the bulk of the remainder will be cleared before the end of the month. That is a fantastic performance in regard to a new scheme with which the Department were not familiar. In order to clear payments as quickly as possible, I had to get in new staff. I make no apology.
If the Minister will not give me the dates——
How can I give the Deputy what I have not got? Does the Deputy want them for Donegal?
I want them for the whole of Ireland.
If the Deputy wants them for Mayo, I will give them to him. We are very short of staff. The question involves a lot of work for staff who should be engaged in paying grants.
I am meeting constituents who are accusing me of not making representations to have the grants paid. Under the old scheme grants were paid reasonably promptly.
Never in the history of the previous Government were the grants paid before December.
Will the Minister inform us why the Department decided to pay the headage grants in Mayo before they were paid in Galway?
While the Deputy was half asleep, I told the House that 139 grants had been paid prior to the by-election in Mayo.
In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply I intend to raise this matter on the Adjournment. That should wake him up.
I will communicate with the Deputy.