Vol. 482 No. 6
189 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will provide finance in his Department's Estimates for 1998 for the introduction of a control of farmyard pollution grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18673/97]
I am not in a position to provide the material requested by the Deputy as it would be pre-emptive of the publication of the abridged Book of Estimates this afternoon.
190 Mr. Kelleher asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason 1996 beef premia payments have not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [18780/97]
Payment was overlooked inadvertently in this case and I am arranging for it to be made immediately.
191 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will receive his headage and reactor grants in view of the fact that he is under extreme financial pressure; and if he will have arrangements made to expedite payment. [18782/97]
The area aid application of the person named has not yet been cleared so as to allow payment of headage to him. Every effort is being made to clear all area aid applications, other than a small minority of very intractable cases, so that payment can be made in this and other similar cases during the next few weeks.
If the area aid application of the person named is found to be in order he should be paid cattle headage within this period. Payment of TB reactor grant will issue today.
192 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his 1997 cattle and sheep headage in view of the fact that the delay is being blamed on an area aid problem in spite of the fact his area aid has not changed in the past three years. [18784/97]
The fact that there is no change in an area aid application does not mean that clearing it so as to allow payment of headage is automatic. In the case of the person named, for example, there seem to be overclaims on a number of commonage parcels which need to be resolved by digitising the commonage.
Given that 1997 is the first year in which the land parcel identification system required by the EU has to be fully operational, this must be done before his 1997 sheep and cattle headage can be paid to him.
I am arranging to prioritise such cases so that digitisation can be completed within the next few weeks and 1997 sheep and cattle headage paid to the person named within that period.
193 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in paying out cattle and sheep headage to several persons in County Mayo; whether the delay relates to a problem with the area aid scheme given the fact that the area aid applications for these persons have not changed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18786/97]
It is unclear to which persons the Deputy is referring. If the Deputy wishes to provide details of the individuals concerned, my Department will provide the information requested above in each case.
