Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 May 1993

Vol. 431 No. 3

Written Answers. - Ewe Premium Quota.

Ivan Yates

Question:

141 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a ewe premium quota will be allocated from the National Reserve, to hardship cases and new entrants; and if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be given favourable consideration in this regard.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

The relevant EC Regulations provide for ewe premium quotas to be based on the number of ewes on which a producer was paid the ewe premium in 1991, provided that the producer also applied for the premium in 1992.

The person named meets both of these conditions and has been granted a quota of 26 full premium rights based on the number of ewes on which he was paid premium in 1991.

The EC Regulations also provide for the establishment of both a national reserve and a special reserve for the Disadvantaged Areas for allocation to certain categories of producers. My Department will be announcing the criteria for the allocation of these reserves shortly and producers with hardship cases, new entrants and the person named can then submit applications, along with supporting documentation for reserve quotas, to my Department at Michael Davitt House, Castlebar.