asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will arrange that in cases where two distinct farming enterprises operate under one herd number, for disease eradication purposes, the beef incentive grants will be paid to the second party even where the first party is a creamery milk supplier or sells milk.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef Incentive Grants.
38.
It is an essential condition of the scheme that applications will be accepted only in respect of herds registered under the bovine tuberculosis eradication scheme. Enterprises which are grouped under one herd number are treated as a single unit and the commercial production of milk in any part of it would disqualify the whole herd from participation in the beef cattle incentive scheme. I do not propose to change this.
Is the Minister aware that herd owners who have separate farms are suffering inconvenience because of this particular arrangement and would he alter it in order to avoid hardship?
I am not aware of any particular hardship caused by the present arrangement. I am, however, aware that if any other method were adopted it would leave itself open to widespread abuse. It is, of course, possible for herd owners with herds in different areas to have different herd numbers.