Vol. 412 No. 6
11 Mr. Farrelly asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a decision was taken that amounts due to farmers by way of headage premium payments and grants should be offset, without notice to the farmers concerned, against the amounts due by them on foot of Land Commission annuities.
Land Commission annuity arrears have been offset by my Department against headage and premium payments payable to the farmers concerned since early 1985, some seven years ago. The normal practice is that prior notice of intention to offset is given to the farmer concerned.
Will the Minister ensure that, in future, prior notice is given to the people concerned? The facts are that some people who were awaiting headage payments were not informed that their file was being transferred from the local office to Castlebar and it was not until two months later when they were making inquiries why the headage payments were not being paid they were told their files had been transferred; they had not been given any notice in writing that the decision had been made.
All I can say is that if the Deputy brings to my attention the name of the individual concerned I will ask the administrative staff dealing with it to have the matter examined.
Would the Minister agree that in latter years, perhaps the past two years, more and more people are in trouble with their Land Commission annuity payments? Can he do anything to help people who cannot afford to pay their annuity?
Question No. 11 was quite specific, but there is another question on the Order Paper which goes into more detail on the point that he raises.
I support Deputy Farrelly in his attempt to elicit information and to bring to the Minister's attention that a power of attachment effectively is taking place in that the Department are offsetting the headage payments to farmers who are in arrears with their Land Commission annuities. Is the Minister aware of the serious financial difficulties that this is creating for many families particularly at this time of the year which is the lead up to a period when they have no other source of income?
At present there are £4.703 million owed. In response to Deputy Hogan may I say that the Minister for Agriculture and Food, Deputy Michael O'Kennedy, has established a working party to come up with an effective solution to the arrears problem.
I now call Question No. 12.
Was the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Walsh, due to answer it? Did he chicken out?
He is conspicuous by his absence.
I am surprised the Minister is smiling.
