(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if his Department will be prepared to make an advance payment of 30 per cent of the 1984-85 EC ewe premium to farmers in the disadvantaged areas.
781.
Written Answers. - Ewe Premium Scheme.
780.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make a statement on the situation which has arisen whereby disadvantaged area sheep farmers are to be denied the 30 per cent payment of premium which is allowed by Brussels and which should in normal circumstances be paid out soon.
782.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will consider arranging special inspections for ewe premiums for early fat lamb producers in order to give the necessary incentive for this form of production; if he will also consider a continuation of the 30 per cent advance payment of ewe premiums in disadvantaged areas as was the case in previous years; when payment will be made on ewes that were presented for inspection last May; and if he will make a full statement on the matter.
783.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason, in view of the campaign last summer to encourage the production of early fat lambs and the estimated 70,000 ewes lambing by early January, the producers are to be penalised by his refusal to authorise special inspections of their flocks thereby losing out on the ewe premium.
784.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will sympathetically consider making an advance payment of 30 per cent of the ewe premium to sheep owners as a matter of urgency.
785.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will make arrangements for an advance payment of 30 per cent of the 1984-85 EC ewe premium; and if he understands that the proposal to postpone the payment of the 1984-85 premium to July 1985, is totally unacceptable to farmers in County Galway.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 780, 781, 782, 783, 784 and 785 together.
As already announced, I have made special arrangements to pay an advance of 30 per cent of the estimated 1984-85 ewe premium to flockowners in the disadvantaged areas. It is hoped to pay the advance at the end of February 1985 and to make final payments to all eligible flockowners in July after the EC determines the amount of premium to be paid and makes funds available.
Ewe inspections for producers of early fat lambs are also being considered in the context of the detailed rules issued by the EC Commission on 26 October. Flock inspections carried out in May and June 1984 were in respect of the 1984 sheep headage scheme in disadvantaged areas and payments under this scheme have already commenced.