Vol. 440 No. 6
4 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to introduce an open application system for the 10 and 22 month beef premium and the slaughter premium to avoid the present retention difficulties which have contributed to a distortion of trade and to a shortage of beef cattle at meat plants.
There is merit in having a more open application period for certain schemes. It is my intention that any farmer applying for a special beef premium in 1995 will be allowed to apply up to three times in the calendar year at times of his or her choice during that year. This will meet the marketing requirements of individual farmers and should be helpful from the point of view of farmers and the industry.
I am also considering introducing on a trial basis more flexible application arrangements for deseasonalisation slaughter premium in 1995 for animals slaughtered in the period January to April, which would allow an applicant to submit more than a single application.
The Minister appears to accept that the present system causes many problems to the orderly marketing of cattle by farmers and factories as the latter made great efforts recently to market outside the intervention system and under other European aids. However, for the Minister to say that he intends extending the provisions of the scheme in 1995 is unacceptable to many farmers. Can this not be done immediately, considering that last June, July and August, marts, factories and all concerned were without cattle because they simply could not be sold? There was also a drought in September when the price and marketing of beef suffered.
As I indicated in my reply, I have a great deal of sympathy for farmers and the position of the industry in relation to these schemes but they are new schemes, the total applications amounting to approximately 650,000, in respect of which there have been teething problems and difficulties in their implementation. We are endeavouring to streamline and simplify them, ensuring that the supply of cattle to the industry is not disrupted. In these circumstances, farmers could help substantially because, as the Deputy knows, there is a retention period applicable to most of the schemes, in some cases a two months' retention period, nevertheless farmers are slow to return completed application forms. In the case of most schemes we are under pressure to extend the deadline, which we do to be helpful, but it would be very helpful if farmers, in their own interests and those of the industry, returned completed application forms quickly, when the retention period could be brought forward considerably. However, for some reason or another, many completed application forms are not submitted until the last minute, creating a logjam, for the industry itself and in respect of payments.
I understand that, in some cases, farmers have only two opportunities to apply which means they must ensure that all their cattle, purchased or not, are sent in for slaughter at those times. Is it true that we are one of the few countries in Europe that does not have an open-ended application period, which would considerably ease the overall position? I cannot see any reason for the Minister not implementing that extension immediately in the interests of the overall industry because it is costing farmers quite an amount. While I appreciate the difficulties of the Minister's Department in dealing with all these new schemes nonetheless this matter should be dealt with urgently. I ask the Minister to implement four application periods annually rather than three.
I am trying to be helpful in this case and will take Deputy Crawford's suggestion into account but there are difficulties to overcome. Certainly I will be able to introduce the new system from next year.
Would the Minister not consider doing so this year?
I am calling Question No. 5.
