(Limerick West) asked the Minister for Agriculture if he is now in a position to supply details about the recoupment to Ireland of 75 per cent of expenditure under the disadvantaged area schemes as announced following the meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers on 15-16 September 1986; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
100.
The Commission has prepared a proposal for the Council of Ministers to introduce a special measure whereby the Community would contribute up to a maximum of 20 MECU (some £15 million) to enable supplementary headage payments to be made by Ireland under the 1986 disadvantaged area schemes. Consideration of the proposal at official level is to begin next week and it will subsequently go forward for adoption by the Council.
This special Community contribution would enable the basic headage rates on all cattle other than beef cows in the more severely handicapped areas to be increased by over 50 per cent this year i.e. from £32 to £50 per livestock unit on each of the first eight and from £28 to £44 on each of the next 22 in an applicant's herd.