andMr. Bruton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the conditions for qualification under the hogget ewe subsidy scheme; if they apply to farmers only; if he is satisfied that ewes presented for the subsidy are not slaughtered immediately afterwards; and the maximum number of grants paid in the past year to an individual applicant.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hogget Ewe Subsidy Scheme.
41.
Under the Hogget Ewe Subsidy Scheme, subsidy is payable on all ewes which
—have not more than two permanent incisor teeth
—have been dipped in the first dipping period
—have been passed by my officers as suitable for breeding.
Subsidy is not payable on animals which have an excessive amount of black wool, have been branded with tar, pitch or paint, or have been imported.
Payment of subsidy is made to the owners of the sheep.
I am satisfied that the timing of the inspections, commencing this year about mid-July, ensures that the vast majority of subsidised animals are retained for breeding.
I am unable to state the maximum number of grants paid to an individual applicant. To get this information, it would be necessary to examine some 27,000 applications, and I think the Deputies will agree that this would be an expensive and time-consuming operation.
Surely the Minister is aware that as the scheme is at present operated it is open to grave abuse? There is nothing to prevent a butcher buying 500 ewes, having them inspected and getting 30s per head and slaughtering them immediately afterwards. Surely the Minister is aware that this has happened?
It may well be a marginal risk but I think, because of the period of inspection I have mentioned in my reply—mid-July—hoggets coming out at that time of the year would be very scarce and would not be the type of sheep that a butcher would be handling at that time.
Surely the Minister is aware that it would be good economics for a butcher to buy 500 or 1,000 hoggets, fatten them up and slaughter them?
I do not think so.
The Minister envisages a scheme to encourage breeding of hoggets?
That is right.
We know the population is down a million. Surely if it is abused the Minister should try to rectify the abuse?
That is one of the reasons why the date of inspection is about mid-July. As I have said, at that time hoggets of the previous year's lamb flock are not really subjects for butchers' shops at all except as low grade meat. You will not get good hoggets at that time.
They could be good.
Would the Minister tell us the difference between a bell wether and a hogget ewe?
There are a great many differences between bell wethers and hoggets ewes, anatomical and otherwise, but we will not go into them now.