Vol. 402 No. 6
5 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when he intends to make the necessary finance available to pay all outstanding farm improvement grants; and if he will give an undertaking to pay all the cattle and sheep headage claims before 1 December 1990 and thereby help to alleviate the serious financial difficulties which farmers are encountering at the moment.
Given the various control systems insisted upon by the EC all headage claims could not be paid by 1 December. I am however, ensuring that the maximum possible will be paid this year and I can assure the Deputy that my Department will pay out more by the end of 1990 than in any recent year and will make any remaining payments expeditiously in 1991. As regards farm improvement grants, all certified claims to hand will be paid as quickly as possible.
I wonder if the Minister is au fait with the workings of his Department, or is he master of his Department? I can give him information on applicants who are waiting four and five months for payment of the farm improvement grant, having already paid the Department the £30 per visit. I was in contact with the Department yesterday about a claim by a person in my constituency and I was told that clearance for payment was received on 14 September and, with a little luck, the person could expect payment by Christmas. Is that the proper procedure for dealing with farmers who are in dire straits and who have borrowed heavily to carry out this development?
The Deputy has made his point.
The rate and amount of payment this year across the whole range of grants, be they farm improvement grants, headage grants or premia grants, is well in excess of any payment in previous years. I am conscious of individual cases such as the one the Deputy has referred to and I assure him that I will continue to expedite payments. The Deputy will see the proof of that very shortly. The rate of payment this year has been astronomical by comparison with anything ever before achieved.
By comparison with last year when it was a disaster.
Does the Minister intend to make advance payments as he did last year, with second payments being made as late as July of the following year? Have the Department of Agriculture and Food collected the files from the various district livestock offices to ensure that headage payments will be made as soon as possible?
In view of that question I will have to give the actual figures. Under the disadvantaged areas scheme at least £67 million will be paid this year by comparison with £57 million last year, which is a record.
That is not the answer.
Under the ewe premium scheme £140 million has already been paid in 1990 as compared to £70 million last year.
Farmers lost £200 million as a result.
Please let us hear the answer.
Under the suckler cow special beef premium scheme, up to £30 million will be paid this year by comparison with £1.6 million last year. Every range of grant is a multiple of what had been paid before and I want to assure the Deputies that I will continue that momentum.
Has the Minister——
No. 7, Deputy Eric Byrne's question.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Please, Deputy Sheehan, resume your seat.
That is poor comfort for the farmers——
If the Deputy is dissatisfied with the Minister's reply he has a remedy.
Is the Minister aware that the clerical staff in these offices around the country——
That will do, Deputy. Question No. 7.
I would like to ask a question.
No, Deputy. You will resume your seat or leave the House.
A Cheann Comhairle——
Deputy Sheehan.
May I make a point?
You may not, Deputy.
