Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 13 Feb 1992

Vol. 415 No. 7

Headage Premiums Payment.

Mr. M. Brennan

First, I congratulate Deputy Joe Walsh on his appointment as Minister for Agriculture and Food and wish him every success in his new portfolio.

I am quite sure the Minister will be well aware of the problems that I am about to raise. Coming from a disadvantaged area in west Cork he knows about the problems of the farmers. Farmers are renowned for their patience and delays do not normally cause them concern. In recent times, however, farmers' incomes depend on cattle headage payments, beef suckler cow and ewe premiums and all the other grants. They depend on grants this year more than ever because of the decline in the price of cattle which occurred last November and December. Small farmers in disadvantaged areas are in particular need.

I raise the matter here this evening because of the large number of farmers I represent who were not paid before Christmas. Quite a number of farmers were paid, but unfortunately the majority of them have not been paid yet. The farming community need the money, particularly at Christmas time. They were promised before Christmas that at least 90 per cent of the farmers' grants would be paid, but unfortunately they were not.

I believe that the fault lies with the Department of Agriculture and Food here in Dublin. I am not merely blaming the new Minister or the former Minister. From inquiries I have made it appears that the delay occurred in the computer section because of a lack of staff. I ask the Minister to look into the matter. I have received information from the local office in Sligo that 87 per cent of all payments were sent from that office by 20 December 1989 and that is the reason I blame someone here in Dublin in the Department of Agriculture and Food.

As far as I am concerned, the issue is extremely important. I have been contacted by several constituents, some of them elderly, who complain that because their headage application forms were filled incorrectly they are to lose their suckler cow grant and beef premium. I ask the Minister here tonight to do everything he can to make sure that those farmers are paid. I appeal to the Minister, a new Minister, to ensure that in future all farmers will if at all possible be paid their grants, cattle headage grants in particular, before Christmas. The money is needed before Christmas, that is why so many people have contacted me.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Chair joins in the words of congratulation and welcome to Minister Walsh.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

I should first like to say that I continue to be impressed by the diligence of Deputy Mattie Brennan and the care he takes in looking after the needs of the Sligo-Leitrim constituency. I can truly say that he is a powerful and determined advocate for his constituents.

In relation to the matter raised by Deputy Brennan, he has a good case. I am also familiar with the problem of the delay in payments to farmers in disadvantaged areas. In fact, as Deputy Brennan said, I represent a disadvantaged area and I have just come from a disadvantaged area. I am not quite sure whether in my present status I am more or less disadvantaged; I suspect that I may be severely handicapped. At any rate, one of the first matters I examined on taking over responsibility for the Department of Agriculture and Food was the irritant of the delay in payment of moneys due and to which people were entitled. I am glad to say that already some progress has been made in the matter.

As regards sheep grants, approximately 98 per cent of applicants had been paid their grants under the sheep headage scheme in disadvantaged areas in both County Sligo and County Leitrim and the same percentage of applicants had received the first and second instalments of the 1991 ewe premium by the end of the year. The third and final instalment of the 1991 ewe premium will not be due until next March or April.

Turning to cattle payments, the position is that under the cattle headage scheme in severely handicapped areas the percentage paid at present are 90 per cent in County Sligo and 94 per cent in County Leitrim. Under the EC suckler cow premium scheme 85 per cent of applicants in County Sligo and 94 per cent of applicants in County Leitrim have been paid to date. The bulk of payments for any year under the EC special beef premium scheme is normally made in the period January to March of the following year. At present 25 per cent of applicants in each county have been paid premium. As I announced only yesterday, I have made arrangements for the payment of a further 25,000, and that money should be going out next week. I freed up a jam that had occurred in the computer system. It is expected that when these payments have been made the level of special beef premium payments in both Sligo and Leitrim will be 75 per cent.

To summarise, I expect that the vast majority of outstanding payments in cases where there are queries will be paid grants due as soon as possible.

I give Deputy Brennan and the House an undertaking that I shall certainly see to it that there will be no undue delay for technical or other reasons in the payment of moneys due to people under the schemes.

Mr. M. Brennan

I thank the Minister for his reply.