Vol. 400 No. 9
136 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the total amount of revenue collected from farmers in disease and veterinary levies between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1989; and the percentage this represented of the total State expenditure on disease eradiction in 1990.
The amount of revenue collected in bovine diseases levies in 1989 was £21.557 million; this amount represented 40 per cent of the amount which has been provided for disease eradication, including administration costs, in 1990.
Statutory meat inspection levies, veterinary levies, amounting to £6.3 million were collected in 1989 in respect of animals slaughtered. This amount was set against the cost of veterinary inspections at meat export premises and does not constitute a contribution towards the disease eradication schemes.
137 Mr. Connor asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the additional funds agreed to by the EC, to assist the bovine disease eradication scheme, will be used (a) to increase the compensation rates to farmers for reactor removal and herd depopulation or (b) as relief on the level of disease levy collected from farmers to fund the disease eradication programme.
The recent decision of the EC Council of Agriculture Ministers set the level for European Community financial participation for approved national disease eradication programmes in member states.
Before this county can qualify for assistance under the decision a programme will have to be prepared and submitted for approval to the European Commission. Until such a programme has been approved it is not possible to indicate the financial arrangements which will apply.
139 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the total number of reactors found in the present round of TB testing in County Sligo; and how this compares with the relevant figures for 1989.
140 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the total number of reactors found in the present round of TB testing in County Leitrim; and how this compares with the relevant figures for 1989.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 139 and 140 together.
The number of reactors disclosed in Sligo in the 1990 round to date is 141 animals. The figure for the same period in 1989 was 185.
The number of reactors disclosed in Leitrim in the 1990 round of TB testing to date is 264 animals. The figure for the same period in 1989 was 167.
