Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 5 May 1992

Vol. 419 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - Agriculture and Food Matters.

Mr. Deenihan

Several farmers contacted me regarding the requirement that cattle must be punched before being sold if the owner is to qualify for a beef premium.

In one instance the farmer had his calves stamped and punched in the local veterinary office. He proceeded to sell the cattle at the local mart but at no time, either in the veterinary office or at the mart, was he informed that the cattle should also be punched. Later, following a spot inspection, he was refused payment of grants under the beef premium scheme because he was honest and admitted he had sold the cattle in question without having their ears punched. I consider this most unfair but it is typical of what is happening. In this case, the cattle in question would not have qualified for beef premium payments in the future because their calves, which accompanied them, were stamped and punched.

I am not sure whether the Minister can answer me tonight, but I appeal to him to give consideration to the criteria necessary for qualification for the beef premium. The criteria should be changed to at least provide that to have calves stamped and punched is sufficient for qualification.

Mr. Browne

(Wexford): I thank Deputy Deenihan for raising this question.

Under the 1991 special beef premium scheme applicants were required to have the cattle identify cards of the male animals presented for premium notched and rubber-stamped by the staff of the local offices of my Department and to have the ears of those animals ear-punched with a 12 millimetre hole by the applicants themselves.

Under the 1992 special beef premium scheme, however, while it is again proposed to have the ears of the male cattle presented for premium ear-punched with a 12 millimetre hole by the applicants, it will no longer be necessary to have the cattle identity cards of those animals notched and rubber-stamped by the staff of my Department. This is one of the measures that, by relieving those staff of a very large block of work, will speed up payments in 1992 so as to ensure that all summer 1992 special beef premium applicants will be paid by the end of 1992 or within the calendar year.

If, however, the cattle identity cards are not notched and rubber-stamped in future, the only way a farmer buying cattle for which premium has been paid will know that they have received premium and that he or she should not claim premium on those animals is by means of the holes punched in their ears by the 1992 applicants. It is absolutely essential, therefore, that such ear-punching continues for this reason. As I understand that over 10,000 ear-punching machines have been sold to the 90,000 or so applicants under this scheme, giving one punch for every nine farmers, and that ample time will be given to the applicants to do the ear-punching, I see no difficulty for farmers in meeting this requirement. Indeed, I urge them to ensure that they meet it in every case in 1992 so as to maintain their own entitlement to premium and to help other farmers apply for premium only on male cattle that have not received such premium already.

The Dáil adjourned at 11.10 p.m. until 12 noon on Wednesday, 6 May 1992.