asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason why a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not yet received payment of a grant under the dairy herd conversion scheme and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Non-Payment of Grants.
85.
This herdowner's application for admission to the scheme of premiums for non-marketing of milk and milk products has been approved. A further inspection of his herd and holding has recently taken place. When verification is received from the applicant's creamery that he has ceased the sale of milk to them, arrangements will be made for payment of the first instalment of the premium as soon as possible thereafter.
Question No. 86 postponed.
87.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason for the delay in the payment of a cattle headage grant to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Participation in the 1979 EEC headage payments schemes is restricted to herdowners whose off-farm income did not exceed £3,550 in the year ended 31 December 1978.
As this herdowner declared that he had an off-farm occupation it was necessary for him to confirm that his income there-from was less than the permitted amount. He has now done so and arrangements are being made to issue a payable order for the amount due to him as soon as possible.
88.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason for the delay in the payment of a cattle headage grant to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
Participation in the 1979 EEC headage payments schemes is restricted to herdowners whose off-farm income did not exceed £3,500 in the year ended 31 December 1978.
As this herdowner declared that he had an off-farm occupation his eligibility for payment of grants is being investigated and is at present the subject of correspondence with his accountant.
89.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason for the delay in payment of an ewe hogget grant to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It has been ascertained that a payable order for the amount due to this flockowner on foot of his 1979 sheep headage payments scheme application which was despatched on 26 October 1979 has not been presented for payment. This payable order has now been cancelled and a duplicate issued on 27 February 1980.
90.
asked the Minister for Agriculture why farmers who are members of the one family but have separate and independent holdings are now penalised in the payment of cattle headage grants and if he will take steps to rectify the situation.
It is not correct to suggest that members of one family occupying separate and independent holdings are penalised in the payment of cattle headage grants. The terms and conditions of the EEC cattle headage payments scheme provide that where two or more herds are operated as a single unit they shall be treated as a single unit for the purpose of the scheme. Herds which are under joint management or which are maintained on the same holding or which are intermixed are properly regarded as single units.
91.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the total number of headage grants outstanding for 1979 under the disadvantaged area scheme.
Out of 98,038 applications for headage grants in 1979, 7,805 remain to be cleared. It is expected that approximately 1,500 of these cases will be paid before the end of the month. The majority of the remaining cases require further investigation or additional documentation in relation to such matters as off-farm income, ownership, management, herd registration etc.