Vol. 438 No. 7
23 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he has satisfied himself with the procedures in operation under which his Department cancels approval leases which have been previously approved for transfer of milk quota; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that injustices can arise because of these procedures; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Where my Department, in its role as implementing authority under the EU milk quota regulations, finds that the operation of a land lease is being used to breach these regulations, then the Department cannot approve the transfer of the quota.
Illegal quota transfers increase the levy liability of other milk producers by depriving them of the use of flexi-milk to which they are entitled and undermine the land-quota link which serves to maintain milk production in those areas of the country where it is economically and socially desirable to do so.
