asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that officials in his Department have informed Deputies that they are no longer replying to representations due to the scarcity of staff with particular reference to farm grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Farm Grants Representations.
53.
Following the recent Government announcement that an additional £8 million is being provided for farm grants, the limited staff resources available for this work are being concentrated on speeding up grant payments so that the arrears can be cleared as quickly as possible. The response to representations and inquiries about particular cases recently has been that all outstanding grants will be paid inside a few weeks. This response has been generally accepted as adequate interim acknowledgment of their representations. As a result of the concentrated effort, to speed up payments, it is expected that all the arrears will be cleared by the end of this month.