asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of applications under the package of measures to aid farmers recently announced by him under the different headings and the estimated cost of the package.
Written Answers. - Farmer Aid Schemes.
316.
Because of the varied nature of the package the question cannot be answered in the precise format required by the Deputy except in the following cases:
|
Title of Scheme |
Number of applications expected |
Estimated cost |
|
A Winter Fodder Scheme |
22,000 |
£800,000 |
|
B Beef Suckler Scheme |
60,000 |
£6 million |
Costs only are available in the following cases:
Farm Modernisation Scheme—The provision of an extra £15 million under the farm modernisation scheme (including the western drainage scheme) to enable claims under this scheme to be cleared up to date was announced last September. In the Supplementary Estimate for Agriculture introduced in Dáil Éireann on 20 November provision was included for a further £8 million for this purpose making a total extra provision of £23 million this year.
Headage Payments in disadvantaged areas—The increase of £10 flat on the previous rates of £22 and £18 for cattle and beef cows will add £10.8 million in a full year to the gross cost of the scheme of which 50 per cent will be recouped later through FEOGA.
Sheep—The increase in the subsidy from £1.50 to £3.00 per head under the mountain lamb extension scheme will cost approximately £90,000. Under the common organisation of the market introduced on 20 October 1980 a compensatory premium estimated at approximately £7 per ewe in a full year but depending on the actual level of market prices, will be payable on good quality ewes. At £7 per ewe this would amount to about £11 million.
Aid for Warble Fly Campaign—The assistance being provided to keep the cost of warble dressing to farmers this year at last year's level will amount to £600,000.
Farm Relief Services—The annual grant to Macra na Feirme is being increased by up to £20,000 per annum for five years to enable that body to organise and co-ordinate the establishment of local farm relief services on a group basis.
Rates—The removal of the obligation on farmers in the £40 to £60 RV (approximately 20,600) to pay the second moiety of rates this year will cost £6 million.
In addition to the foregoing it was also indicated in the package that, arising out of Government discussions with the four associated banks and the ACC, the latter bodies would (a) take a constructive and positive approach to the restructuring of existing loans on a case by case basis where farmers are faced with serious repayment problems and (b) make available at lower interest rates for productive investment in agriculture up to £100 million from foreign borrowings. Information as to the number of cases dealt with under (a) and (b) above is not available to my Department.