asked the Minister for Agriculture the steps taken to assist farmers in west Cavan who suffered losses because of bad weather and who were visited by his Minister of State.
Written Answers. - Compensation for Bad Weather.
133.
In order to alleviate the effects of the bad weather £200 million in Euro-currency funds is being made available to farmers at attractive rates of interest. In addition, the EC Commission has agreed to propose an extra £15 million to enable headage payments in disadvantaged areas here to be increased on a once-off basis this year. This proposal will shortly be put to the Council of Ministers. I hope with this aid to increase basic headage payments this year in the more severely handicapped areas, including west Cavan, on all cattle other than beef cows, the rate for which has already been increased to £70 per head.