asked the Minister for Agriculture (a) the number of farmers in County Donegal who applied for cattle and sheep headage subsidies for 1981-82; (b) the number approved; and (c) the number paid to date.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
424.
The information requested by the Deputy is as follows: (a) In County Donegal 9,478 farmers applied for cattle headage and 3,266 applied for sheep headage in 1981; (b) 9,223 cattle headage applications and 3,229 sheep headage applications have been approved for payment; (c) 9,196 cattle headage and 3,194 sheep headage applications have been paid to date.
425.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will arrange for the immediate payment of a 1981 cattle headage grant to a person (details supplied) in Cashel, County Galway.
The person named was paid his 1981 cattle headage grant on 22 June 1982.
426.
asked the Minister for Agriculture when suckler grants for 1980 and 1981 due to a person (details supplied) in Carrick-on-Shannon, County Roscommon, will be paid.
It is a condition of the EEC suckler cow premium scheme that the applicant must be the registered herdowner. The person named was not the registered herdowner of the herd in respect of which he applied for suckler cow premium in 1980. He was asked to provide proof of ownership of the herd in that year but so far he has failed to do so.
He will be paid his 1981 EEC suckler cow premium shortly.
427.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the present position in relation to the undertaking given in the White Paper on the Economy, 1979 (paragraph 310) to introduce performance grants under the farm modernisation scheme.
The question of performance-related grants falls within the ambit of the terms of reference of the working group which has recently been set up to prepare a four-year plan. The fullest consideration will be given to this group's recommendations in deciding future policy in this area. The group has been asked to let me have its conclusions by the end of October.
EEC Directive 72/159, on which the farm modernisation scheme is based, is due for review next year and the question of introducing performance-related grants can also be considered in that context.
428.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will pay a grant in respect of buildings under the farm modernisation scheme (details supplied) to a person in County Cork.
The work in this case was certified only recently. The grant will be paid shortly.