andMr. Noonan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries why the maximum grant under the beef cattle incentive scheme is being reduced this year.
11.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cattle Incentive Scheme.
10.
andMr. Noonan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries when he is likely to make an announcement regarding the beef cattle incentive scheme for 1976.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.
In 1975 and previous years there was no maximum limitation on the amount of grant paid under the beef cattle incentive scheme and the size of grant which any herdowner could earn was determined by the number of eligible animals presented. This year it is necessary to apply a maximum in order to bring the scheme into line with the cattle headage payments scheme under which the ceiling on grants will continue to operate.
Details of the 1976 schemes will be announced at an early date.
Surely it is not sufficient for the Minister to state that the details of the scheme will be announced at an early date? Surely we have passed a deadline by now? When will the farmers of Ireland know precisely how many cows they must present for inspection? This is what each and every farmer wants to know.
The farmers of Ireland will know when conclusion has been reached with the EEC on the matter. The EEC officials have intimated that the beef incentive scheme grants are of a type which have no hope of securing Community approval and they should be eliminated. They insist at this point in time that they should be and be seen to be much less attractive outside the disadvantaged areas than inside. It is not possible to give much information at this stage pending EEC agreement on these proposals except to say that the scheme is being substantially adapted in the light of EEC requirements at this point in time. We must reach agreement with the EEC.
The Minister has a wonderful adroitness in saying "they" and not "we". Would he not accept that after all we are part of the EEC? The Minister definitely used the pronoun "they" twice.
The Deputy is engaging in argument rather than putting a supplementary.
When I said "they" I was referring to the EEC. In every sense of the English language they are "they". They are the people who insist and we have to reach agreement with them. We are trying in every way we can to reach that agreement.
Question No. 12.
Does the Minister not think that it is quite ridiculous to have officers of his Department going around the country at the moment without having any information for farmers? Can he not be a little bit more specific on when?
The position is simply that when there are two parties to an agreement agreement must be reached with the other party. That is the present state of play. Every effort is being made to reach this culmination but we have got to wait until it comes.
Am I to take it from the Minister that the scheme will be carried on but that there will be a limit on it this year? The farmers are worried that no announcement has been made.
The Deputy can take that.
(Interruptions.)
It is not necessary to pay somebody in respect of an incentive scheme such as this immediately on spot. It is possible to pay them when agreement has been reached. I cannot say what that agreement will bring forth but it does not mean that the scheme has been discontinued.
Does the Minister not think that it is time to publish that there is to be a limit? This rumour has been out but it is not clearly clarified what the limit is.
Rumour is a difficult sort of animal to compete with.