Vol. 410 No. 4
46 Mr. Browne (Carlow-Kilkenny) asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has any plans to change the present system of penalising farmers where the number on the application form does not conform exactly with the number of cattle shown.
Under the EC Regulations governing the EC special beef and suckler cow premium schemes applicants must maintain the numbers of cattle listed on their applications for specified retention periods. If they fail to do so, all 1991 premium will be refused and, in the case of the EC suckler cow premium scheme, all 1992 premium will be refused as well.
These are EC rules relating to schemes fully-financed by the EC and I have no authority to alter them. The retention clause under the EC suckler cow premium scheme does not cause all that much difficulty, however, as the suckler cows listed on the applications can be replaced during the six-months retention period by in-calf heifers or other suckler cows. As for the retention period under the EC special beef premium scheme, I have eased the situation for farmers this year by allowing them to dispose of their fat cattle after the minimum two-months retention period has elapsed provided they submit the cattle identity cards of the cattle being sold to their local offices of the Department for scrutiny, punching and stamping before sending those cattle for sale. I believe the difficulties which arose under this scheme in previous years should not arise in 1991, therefore.
