Vol. 474 No. 4
75 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if the EU calf processing aid scheme will be introduced in the Republic of Ireland; if so, the date on which he agreed to this introduction; the conditions attaching to introducing this scheme; the reasons for introducing this scheme; the value of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1969/97]
Measures adopted by the Council of Agriculture Ministers in October 1996 obliged member states to introduce an early marketing premium scheme for veal calves or the calf processing scheme. As Ireland has no veal industry we are obliged under Council Regulation (EC) No. 2222/96 to introduce the calf processing premium scheme.
Nine EU export licensed meat premises have been selected as processing centres and are now in a position to implement the scheme. A processing premium of 120 ecu is payable on male dairy breed calves and 150 ecu on beef breed calves which are less than 20 days old. The premium will be paid only on animals which are in a fit and healthy condition on presentation and are processed in conformity with the terms and conditions of the scheme.
The objective of the calf processing premium scheme and the early marketing premium scheme for veal calves is to reduce by one million the number of calves available for beef production. This number is equivalent to about 350,000 tonnes of beef per annum within the EU. The purpose of this measure is to assist in bringing the market into balance, thereby assisting producer prices to recover to reasonable levels and orderly marketing to be restored within the EU and internationally.
