Joe Sherlock
Question:79 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the IDA grants paid in 1989 and 1990 to the Mitchelstown Co-op. Society, County Cork, including the bacon factory.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The amount of grant aid paid to Mitchelstown Co-op. Society by the IDA in 1989 was £819,000. Under normal IDA procedures, the amount paid to the society in 1990 will be made available when the IDA annual report for that year is published.
Joe Sherlock
Question:80 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the IDA grants paid in 1989 and 1990 to the Ballyclough Co-op. Society, County Cork.
The amount of grant aid paid to Ballyclough Co-op. Society by the IDA in 1989 was £18,000. Under normal IDA procedures, the amount paid to the society in 1990 will be made available when the IDA annual report for that year is published.
Jim Higgins
Question:81 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the headage payments section of his Department are refusing to take phone calls from claimants who have not yet received payment.
The headage division of my Department and all the local offices dealing with headage payments, with the exception of one, have taken and are continuing to take phone calls from claimants who have not yet received payment. The one local office which was not taking phone calls in regard to payments over the last two months was unable to do so due to pressure of work in processing headage applications for payment, but will be doing so from now on.
The computer division of my Department does not take phone calls regarding payments as the main function of that division is to arrange payments in cases sent to it by local offices and it does not have the staff resources to deal with queries. The Deputy will appreciate that the issuing of payable orders would be slowed down considerably if the computer division had to devote time and staff resources to dealing with telephone inquiries.
Jim Higgins
Question:82 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in payment of a headage grant to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
Payment to this applicant under the 1990 cattle and equines headage scheme has already been made. His payment under the 1990 special beef premium scheme is being processed and will issue shortly. There has been no particular delay in making payments.