Virtually all the eligible County Leitrim flockowners and 91 per cent of the County Sligo flockowners were paid 1990 sheep headage grants before Christmas 1990 and some 95 per cent of County Sligo flockowners have now received those grants. The remaining 5 per cent of sheep cases unpaid are query cases that can be paid once the flockowners respond to my Department's queries.
Virtually all of the eligible County Leitrim and County Sligo flockowners were paid the 1989 ewe premium and two advance payments under the 1990 ewe premium scheme before Christmas 1990. The remaining portion of the 1990 ewe premium cannot be made until the EC Commission is in a position to decide on the precise level of the premium for that year.