(Cavan) asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries why a farrowed sow grant was refused in the case of a person (name supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will now arrange for payment of a grant to this person.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Farrowed Sow Grant.
4.
Under the farrowed sow scheme the sow must be inspected as to eligibility before a grant is paid. In the case now in question it was stated that the sow had died subsequent to farrowing and before the inspector called. Hence there was no means of determining whether the sow was eligible for a grant. It is the invariable practice not to pay a grant on a sow which has died before inspection, and there are obviously sound reasons for this.
(Cavan): Is it not a fact that notification was sent to the Department that the sow in question had farrowed and that an inspector called after some time and saw a litter of pigs? If that is so, might the Department not reasonably assume that there must have been a sow and that she must have farrowed when there was in fact a litter of pigs there?
Was there a post mortem?
The Deputy must appreciate that where public money is in question, every precaution must be taken to ensure there is no abuse of the scheme. It could well be—I am not suggesting it was the case in this particular instance—that these could have been brought in bonhams and there may never have been a sow. The sow must be inspected. It also could have happened that the sow did in fact farrow on this man's farm and may have drawn a grant before and would not, therefore, be eligible the second time. These are all matters that must be looked into to ensure that every possible precaution to safeguard public moneys is taken.
(Cavan): Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the Deputy is aware that a senior inspector came down from the city of Dublin on a special trip to investigate this case and that his expenses probably cost at least four times as much as the grant involved? Would the Parliamentary Secretary be prepared to accept a certificate from a veterinary surgeon that the sow did farrow and that the sow did die? If that is produced, will you pay this man the miserable grant of £5 about which your Minister boasted so much last year?
The local officer of the Department did call to the farmer's holding. The scheme has worked out very successfully. A total of 85,000 sows have been inspected and only two per cent of them have been rejected, the majority of them for the reason that they were not suitable. In regard to payment, apart from the fact that a sow farrows, we have to establish whether she is eligible, whether she is of first quality and also whether a grant had not already been paid.
There are a lot of supplementaries on this matter.
(Cavan): It is just as important to this man, Sir, as Question No. 1 was to the people concerned.
You will agree it is an excellent scheme?
(Cavan): You are out of Agriculture now and it is not much loss. Will the Parliamentary Secretary not accept a veterinary surgeon's certificate in this case?
It is not the normal practice and I do not think it would be prudent to depart from the normal procedure laid down.
(Cavan): The Minister sent down an inspector at enormous cost.
Question No. 5.