asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if applicants under the beef cattle incentive scheme whose cows had not calves with them at two consecutive inspections in 1969 will receive the relevant grant upon the next and second inspection in 1970; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef Incentive Scheme.
9.
This scheme is based on the presence of cows and calves of suitable quality at two consecutive inspections. I am aware that last year some herd owners did not have sufficient calves to match the number of cows they presented at the two inspections. I am now reviewing the working of the scheme and while I would hope to make it more flexible I am not proposing to change the basis of it.
Will the Minister state specifically if cows without calves on the first inspection will receive the subsidy on the next inspection?
Yes, provided they fulfil the original qualification that they were there at the autumn inspection and the spring or early summer inspection, and that they had a calf. In other words, it will be the same thing. It will be two inspections rather than two inspections within the given year. It will be any two inspections.
Would the Minister not agree that the present system is a bit inflexible in so far as there could be an undue delay in obtaining the subsidy due to the necessity for two inspections?
No. It is not a question of flexibility in this case. It is a question of ensuring that a cow that qualifies for this cow with a calf scheme is there on two consecutive inspection dates. There can be no question of inflexibility or flexibility in this matter. They have got to be there on two consecutive dates or else they are not on.
Question No. 10.
Would the Minister consider an inspection in December rather than having to wait for the following March?
The question of when the inspection may be in the winter time depends largely on when it would be regarded as most suitable in the summer time, the idea being that there would be only two inspections in any given 12 month period and that those two inspections should as far as possible be equally spaced or equally distant in time from one to the other. In other words, every six months there should be an inspection.
What about having one in September?
I am calling Question No. 10. We cannot discuss Question No. 9 all evening.
No. It would defeat the whole purpose underlining the scheme. More inspections would mean that you would have to keep the calves and the cows for a few months and then flog them after they had the inspection having kept them three months and, perhaps, turn them into milk production instead of the production of beef.