Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 8

Written Answers. - Cereal Growers.

Dick Spring

Question:

50 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will make provision for farmers who tilled rented land for the purpose of grain growing in the years from 1976 to 1991 and who were not allocated a quota under the scheme introduced by his Department in 1992, in view of the fact that the quota was allocated to, and remained with, the original landowner and the tenants were deprived of rights or quota allocation as grain growers and, therefore, deprived of the right to earn an income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5152/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

There is no individual farmer quota system in operation in the cereals sector. For the purposes of the EU arable area aid system, payment of aid is limited to a national base area which to date has not been exceeded in this country. It is open to any person to produce arable crops, that is, cereals and certain other crops — and to claim area aid, provided that the crops in question are grown on eligible land, whether owned or rented. Eligible land is land which was tilled between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1991 other than for reseeding to grass.