asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will apply for a substantial increase in the permitted off-farm earnings for the purposes of the severely disadvantaged headage scheme.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
163.
Excluding the EC special weather aid the overall cost of the disadvantaged areas schemes has risen from some £41 million for the full year 1985 to some £58 million for the full year 1986, an increase of over 40 per cent.
In view of the pressure on Exchequer resources and having regard to the substantial increases this year in the number of eligible farmers and the rates of grant it is not possible at present to increase the off-farm income limit from its current level of £6,400 which benefits the applicants who are most in need.