I propose taking Questions Nos. 24, 43, 44, 47, 62 and 75 together.
There have been contacts between my Department and the EC Commission in relation to the operation of the 1991 special beef premium scheme under EC Regulation No. 714/89. These contacts and the acceptance of the recommendations in the interim report of the departmental task force set up to deal with problems of headage and premia payments delays have resulted in a satisfactory solution to problems of simple accidental error in particular.
The position in relation to 1991 headage and premia payments is that by the end of April 1992 some 386,000 payments worth £287 million will have been made to our farmers. About 5 per cent of June 1991 special beef applicants and some 6 per cent of the suckler cow premium claimants are still outstanding. About all the 1991 sheep premium payments have been made. While some of the outstanding claims will be cleared shortly it will not be possible to make payments in all cases. These figures would certainly not support a view that enormous amounts of EC money are being lost to Irish farmers through non-compliance with grant scheme regulations.