Vol. 470 No. 6
81 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the average loss facing farmers in County Meath in the arable sector is £24 per week should the proposed reduction in arable payments proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19667/96]
The proposals by the EU Commission to reduce arable area payments are still under examination by the Council of Agriculture Ministers. I do not accept that the proposed cuts are necessary, and accordingly the effects, if any, on the incomes of grain producers in County Meath cannot be estimated at this stage.
82 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will ensure the protection of the arable aid payments against the proposed cuts in arable payments in view of the fact that national Governments in mainland Europe can afford to protect their grain farmers and there is no such commitment from the Irish Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19668/96]
83 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether he intends to remove the farmers in the simplified arable aid scheme from any cuts in arable aid payments; whether these farmers may be operating their arable land holding as a supplementary to their main farm holding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19669/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together.
As I indicated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 157 dated 16 October 1996, the proposal to cut arable aid payments is at present being considered by the Council of Agriculture Ministers. I do not accept that such a cut is necessary to finance the Commission's beef proposals but if any cut is adopted my aim will be to minimise the effect it will have on cereal growers in this country, especially small producers including those in the simplified arable aid scheme.
84 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry his policy in relation to the arable sector from the year 2000 onwards. [19670/96]
Policy in relation to the arable crops sector, and indeed all sectors of agriculture from the year 2000 onwards will be influenced by a number of factors, the main ones of which will be the next round of WTO negotiations, further reform of the CAP, expansion of the Community eastwards and monetary union. In the case of the arable crops sector my broad policy will be to continue to protect the incomes of producers and to maintain the cereal production base of this country.
85 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the importance of the need to establish a national acreage register of grain growers, particularly in view of the EU Commission's promise to examine modifications to the eligible land rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19671/96]
The possibility of setting up a register of grain growers or a similar system aimed at targetting penalties, should they arise, on producers who contribute to any overshoot of the national base area, is being considered by my Department. Any such change would require a change in EU regulations and would have to be agreed by the Council of Agriculture Ministers. Arable area payments have remained comfortably within the national base area limit to date, and there has been no risk of the triggering of base area penalties.
