Vol. 432 No. 1
166 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the regulations which will be used to determine suckler cow quotas for 1993; whether on-farm inspections and validity checks will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The regulations governing the allocation of suckler cow quotas are Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2066/92 and Commission Regulation (EEC) No. 3886/92. Regulation No. 2066/92 provides for suckler cow premium quotas to be based on the number of cows on which a producer was paid premium in one of the following reference years: 1990, 1991 or 1992. Ireland has chosen 1992 as the reference year and this means that producers can claim suckler cow premium grants in 1993 and future years up to maximum of the number of suckler cows for which they were paid premium in 1992 less a deduction for the national reserve.
This regulation also provides for the establishment of a national reserve equal to between 1 per cent and 3 per cent of the sum of the individual quotas allocated to producers and a special reserve equal to 1 per cent of the total of the individual quotas allocated to producers in the disadvantaged areas. It is not possible to establish these quotas until applications for the suckler cow premium scheme submitted to my Department in November and December 1992 have been processed for payment. My Department will also decide at a later date on the priority categories for the allocation of the reserve quotas and producers will then be invited to submit formal applications supported by appropriate documentary evidence.
