asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason an instalment under the dairy herd conversion scheme, which has been due since December 1981, has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Meath; if instalments have been paid to any other people under this scheme in respect of the payment date of December 1981; when the payment will be made to that person; when all outstanding payments will be made to all other applicants in respect of December 1981; and the total sum outstanding in payments which have been due since December 1981.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
749.
The person named joined the EEC Scheme of Premiums for Non-Marketing of Milk and Milk Products and opted for payment of the premium in five equal annual instalments. He has already received two of these and the third will be due for payment before 30 August next, when he will complete his third year of participation in the scheme. An inspection in his case was, however, carried out last week and it is expected that payment of the third annual instalment will be made shortly.
There are nine other applicants awaiting payment of instalments since December 1981 and the total amount due is £21,872.98. One will be paid in the very near future and in the remaining eight cases payment has been held up because of doubts about the applicants complying with the terms and conditions of the scheme. Investigations in these cases are continuing.
750.
asked the Minister for Agriculture whether he will consider revoking the recent regulation which was introduced by the previous Government and which provided that the off-farm income of landowners should be taken into account in determining farmers eligibility for headage payments in poorer areas.
The off-farm income limit for determining eligibility for headage payments in the disadvantaged areas was introduced in 1979 so that the limited resources available could be used to give maximum benefit to full-time farmers and those with low off-farm incomes rather than those who did not depend mainly on farming for their livelihood. The limit set is based on the national average industrial wage. The reasons for introducing the limit still exist and consequently there are no plans to revoke it.
751.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be paid his cow suckler grant for 1981.
The person named will be paid his 1981 EEC suckler cow premium shortly. Payments under this scheme commenced on 30 April 1982.
752.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be paid his cow suckler grant for 1981.
Further investigation is necessary before it can be determined if the person named is eligible for payment under the 1981 EEC Scheme of Premiums for Maintaining Suckler Cows. If he is found to be eligible, payment will issue as soon as possible.
753.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be paid his cattle headage grant for 1981.
The person named was paid his 1981 cattle headage grant under the disadvantaged areas schemes on 23 December 1981.
Inquiries have shown that the payable order had not been cashed up to the end of April 1982. If it is established that it was not cashed during the month of May 1982, arrangements be made for cancellation of the original payable order and the issue of a replacement.
754.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be paid a farm modernisation grant.
The work in this case was carried out without the prior written approval of the farm development service and is therefore ineligible for grant-aid under the farm modernisation scheme.