Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Jun 1998

Vol. 492 No. 1

Written Answers. - Crop Losses.

Ivan Yates

Question:

78 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all the funds under the 1997 crop compensation scheme have been expended; the proposals, if any, he has for unspent money to be allocated by relaxing the criteria relating to milk quota or forage area limitations; or the plans, if any, he has to seek further funds for people who have not been approved in the applications to date. [13360/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

An amount of £1.2 million has been allocated for the scheme of assistance for weather related crop losses 1997, of which £295,047 has been paid out to date. Further claims totalling circa £700,000 are being processed.

I do not propose to change either the general criteria of the scheme or the detailed conditions that apply to crop categories under the scheme which I announced last November. However, I have asked officials of my Department to re-examine claims in cases where significant hardship is demonstrated.