asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state in respect of the 1982 Agricultural Estimate the amount paid (a) in salaries and wages to organisations and institutions outside his Department and (b) directly to farmers by way of grants and subsidies; the average length of time from the original application for these grants to the final payment.
Written Answers. - Agricultural Estimate.
829.
The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:—
(a) £27.3 million; (b) £136.3 million; (c) The length of time varies considerably, from four weeks to over 12 months depending inter alia, on the conditions of the scheme, on the type of works involved, on the number of applications or volume of field inspections required and on the speed with which the farmer fulfils the conditions of the particular scheme.