Vol. 478 No. 4
204 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will sanction a cow suckler quota for a person (details supplied) in County Galway; when this will be done; the amount of quota to be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11128/97]
The demand for suckler cow quota from the 1997 national reserve has far exceeded the amount available for distribution.
One of the criteria laid down by the quota review group for the distribution of quota from the 1997 suckler cow national reserve is that, in the event of the demand for reserve quota exceeding the amount available for distribution, eligible applicants with low livestock units would get priority, starting with those on 15 livestock units or less. If quota remained, having allocated quota to that category, then eligible applicants with 20 livestock units or less would be allocated quota and so on, in steps of five livestock units, until all the available quota is distributed. At present, eligible applicants with up to 25 livestock units have been allocated quota and the reserve is virtually depleted.
The person named has 60.55 livestock units and there is not, therefore, sufficient quota in the reserve to allow an allocation to be made to him.
