Vol. 424 No. 9
167 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a farmer (details supplied) in County Tipperary who is inheriting his father's farm in a disadvantaged area can have access to additional milk quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person indicated is one of those producers whose milk deliveries in the reference year 1983 was adversely affected by animal disease.
The EC Regulations provided for the use of 1981 or 1982 as an alternative reference year to cover this situation. However, the deliveries of the producer in question in both these years fell below his 1983 deliveries and so he was not in a position to benefit under this provision.
I am fully aware of the difficulties the quota system has caused for producers who had animal disease in their herds prior to the introduction of the quota system and I have sought to assist them in so far as is possible under EC and national legislation. I have, for instance, provided that such producers be regarded as priority category producers under restructuring schemes, temporary leasing and allocation of flexi-milk. In addition, the Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal was set up to deal with applications for additional quota from special category producers who have suffered hardship under the quota system.
