asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of farmers who qualified for the EEC 5 per cent subsidy in County Cork and nationally; the total amount of money paid; and the average per farm.
Written Answers . - Interest Subsidy Schemes .
898.
: 1,401 applicants in County Cork have received benefit under the EEC Interest Subsidy Scheme out of a total of 7,845 applicants who qualified nationally.
Total expenditure to date is £5.43 million. The average annual subsidy is £550 per farmer.
899.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the number of farmers who qualified for the 5 per cent national subsidy (1) in County Cork and (2) nationally; the cost to the Exchequer; the average per farmer; and the reason the subsidy was not continued.
: 834 farmers in County Cork have received benefit under the National Interest Subsidy Scheme out of a total of 5,306 farmers nationally. The scheme has cost the Exchequer £1.64 million resulting in an average payment per farmer of £320.
Following the recent budgetary restrictions only those applicants who have qualified under the reduced interest scheme for farmers in severe financial difficulty will be entitled to a second year payment; all other applicants will receive a subsidy for one year only.