asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of applicants for sheep subsidies under the 1981 scheme in County Wicklow; the reason the subsidies were not paid prior to Christmas as promised by the then Minister of State; and when the remaining applicants will receive their payment.
Written Answers. - County Wicklow Sheep Subsidy Payments.
601.
The number of applicants under the 1981 sheep headage scheme in County Wicklow was 983. Of these, 828 have been paid and the remaining 155 cases are still under query. Only some sheep headage payments were made in County Wicklow before Christmas because of the very large number of cases requiring investigation, over twice the national average, and the need to make special arrangements for deducting subscriptions for the Wicklow Sheep Owners' Association.