asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amounts paid out in each of the past two years in respect of cattle and sheep headage payments; and if he will give a breakdown of the numbers of recipients in respect of counties.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The information is as follows:
Cattle and Equines Headage Scheme
1986 Scheme* |
1987 Scheme |
|||
County |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
No. Paid |
Amount Paid |
£m |
£m |
|||
Carlow |
188 |
0.166 |
186 |
0.127 |
Cavan |
1,922 |
1.519 |
1,866 |
1.195 |
Clare |
5,953 |
5.806 |
5,732 |
4.396 |
Cork |
4,876 |
4.658 |
4,734 |
3.307 |
Donegal |
8,442 |
5.363 |
7,984 |
4.437 |
Dublin |
66 |
0.057 |
64 |
0.046 |
Galway |
6,583 |
4.359 |
6,346 |
3.391 |
Kerry |
6,480 |
5.211 |
6,215 |
3.738 |
Kildare |
3 |
0.003 |
3 |
0.002 |
Laois |
193 |
0.183 |
188 |
0.149 |
Leitrim |
3,922 |
2.945 |
3,760 |
2.480 |
Limerick |
1,290 |
1.131 |
1,246 |
0.784 |
Longford |
981 |
0.741 |
942 |
0.570 |
Louth |
81 |
0.052 |
77 |
0.042 |
Mayo |
13,321 |
9.699 |
12,864 |
7.602 |
Monaghan |
1,155 |
0.874 |
1,155 |
0.676 |
Offaly |
85 |
0.090 |
82 |
0.075 |
Roscommon |
4,425 |
3.606 |
4,252 |
2.746 |
Sligo |
4,703 |
3.859 |
4,501 |
2.861 |
Tipperary |
660 |
0.750 |
651 |
0.541 |
Waterford |
401 |
0.401 |
387 |
0.286 |
Westmeath |
— |
— |
2 |
0.001 |
Wexford |
80 |
0.060 |
90 |
0.047 |
Wicklow |
566 |
0.624 |
584 |
0.530 |
Total |
66,356 |
52.157 |
63,911 |
40.029 |
*1986 Scheme includes EC Special Aid to compensate for poor harvest weather in 1986.
Sheep Headage Scheme
1986 Scheme |
1987 Scheme |
|||
County |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
£m |
£m |
|||
Carlow |
267 |
0.216 |
277 |
0.237 |
Cavan |
564 |
0.159 |
683 |
0.200 |
Clare |
597 |
0.067 |
689 |
0.090 |
Cork |
982 |
0.700 |
1,035 |
0.731 |
Donegal |
3,862 |
2.462 |
3,992 |
2.597 |
Dublin |
57 |
0.055 |
54 |
0.054 |
Galway |
4,664 |
1.141 |
4,958 |
1.286 |
Kerry |
1,714 |
1.622 |
1,753 |
1.681 |
Kildare |
47 |
0.054 |
53 |
0.059 |
Kilkenny |
124 |
0.062 |
139 |
0.073 |
Laois |
82 |
0.023 |
77 |
0.025 |
Leitrim |
625 |
0.397 |
605 |
0.382 |
Limerick |
33 |
0.029 |
44 |
0.034 |
Longford |
203 |
0.021 |
258 |
0.034 |
Louth |
170 |
0.138 |
184 |
0.161 |
Mayo |
3,448 |
1.628 |
3,624 |
1.721 |
Meath |
36 |
0.003 |
37 |
0.005 |
Monaghan |
244 |
0.020 |
297 |
0.032 |
Offaly |
59 |
0.015 |
81 |
0.023 |
Roscommon |
1,367 |
0.245 |
1,508 |
0.302 |
Sligo |
1,058 |
0.376 |
1,141 |
0.408 |
Tipperary |
229 |
0.129 |
257 |
0.149 |
Waterford |
211 |
0.225 |
212 |
0.233 |
Westmeath |
18 |
0.001 |
29 |
0.002 |
Wexford |
155 |
0.142 |
161 |
0.152 |
Wicklow |
981 |
1.054 |
979 |
1.084 |
Total |
21.797 |
10.984 |
23,127 |
11.755 |
Beef Cow Scheme
1986 Scheme |
1987 Scheme |
|||
County |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
Number Paid |
Amount Paid |
£m |
£m |
|||
Carlow |
45 |
0.038 |
51 |
0.039 |
Cavan |
885 |
0.383 |
952 |
0.496 |
Clare |
298 |
0.140 |
299 |
0.176 |
Cork |
89 |
0.048 |
96 |
0.058 |
Galway |
4,236 |
1.301 |
4,170 |
1.564 |
Kerry |
430 |
0.256 |
443 |
0.303 |
Kilkenny |
266 |
0.178 |
302 |
0.219 |
Laois |
102 |
0.069 |
121 |
0.081 |
Limerick |
53 |
0.032 |
53 |
0.033 |
Longford |
766 |
0.319 |
793 |
0.388 |
Meath |
85 |
0.040 |
92 |
0.050 |
Monaghan |
656 |
0.276 |
753 |
0.376 |
Offaly |
104 |
0.037 |
112 |
0.038 |
Roscommon |
1,142 |
0.346 |
1,091 |
0.395 |
Tipperary |
183 |
0.113 |
220 |
0.147 |
Waterford |
20 |
0.008 |
24 |
0.010 |
Westmeath |
100 |
0.054 |
101 |
0.052 |
Totals |
9,460 |
3.638 |
9,673 |
4.425 |
108.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will indicate the nature of changes to be introduced this year in respect of cattle and sheep headage payments; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a great many farmers may lose substantial income as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are no further changes to be introduced under the cattle and sheep headage schemes beyond those already published.
Most of the changes introduced for the 1988 headage schemes will be of considerable benefit to many farmers. Before this year the position was that in the more severely handicapped areas beef cows in herds which contained dairy cows could only qualify for up to ten grants at the rate of £32 on the first eight and £28 on the next two while in the less severely handicapped areas beef cows in herds which contained dairy cows could not qualify for any grants. As a result of changes which I introduced in 1988 beef cows suckling calves in herds which contain dairy cows can now qualify for grants of £70 on the first eight and £66 on the remainder — subject to an overall limit of 30 beef cows in the more severely handicapped areas and 28 in the less severely handicapped areas. This measure will be of considerable benefit to farmers affected by the milk superlevy and will help to increase the national cow herd. Another change which I introduced in 1988 provides for the payment in the more severely handicapped areas of headage grants on breeding mares registered in the Irish Horse Register in addition to breeding mares registered with the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society.
One change however in these schemes this year which will lead to reduced payments to some farmers is the new forage area limits system which was introduced at the insistence of the EC because the farmers concerned have stocking rates which were very high for disadvantaged land and which were far in excess of EC criteria for designating handicapped areas.