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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 May 1994

Vol. 442 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Crop Damage.

Trevor Sargent

Ceist:

6 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of farmers in north County Dublin who have gone out of business as a result of the non-payment of compensation for crop damage earlier in 1994.

Matt Brennan

Ceist:

43 Mr. M. Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the categories of crop produced who will benefit under the weather damage scheme; and when payments will be completed.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 43 together.

Last November the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry announced that he had established a fund to assist horticulture and patato growers who suffered major or total crop loss due to abnormal weather conditions in 1993. Assistance will be granted to growers with a crop area of less than ten hectares who lost more than 25 per cent of the crop and those with a crop area of ten hectares or more who lost more than 40 per cent of the crop. Applications are being processed and verified at present and payments will be made in the near future.

Tá áthas bheith thar n-ais in bhúr measc. Dar ndóigh, sí 1993 an bhlian atá gceist, ní 1994 mar ata sa cheist.

Many growers, particularly in north County Dublin, are in a serious position. Will the Minister of State clarify that 200 claims have been submitted to the Departments seeking payments as a matter of urgency given that suppliers and the banks are at the point of withholding credit facilities? I have been told that £1 in the spring is worth £4 in the autumn. Will the Minister of State give a commitment that these payments, which will be made by his staff in Cavan and which need to be made as a matter of urgency, will not be delayed because of the need to pay, important though they may be, milk or ewe premia or make other payments?

Tá áthas ormsa fresin go bhfuil an Teachta Sargent ar ais in ár measc.

The scheme was advertised on 7 February 1994 inviting applications by 25 February. Over 600 applications were received. Following examination of these applications in consultation with the Department of Finance it was proposed that growers with holdings of between two and ten hectares who lost more than 25 per cent of the crop and growers with holdings in excess of ten hectares who lost more than 40 per cent of the crop would be assisted. These figures were revised later and 180 applications were received from growers in north County Dublin. While considerable damage was done we are not aware that any grower has gone out of business as implied in the Deputy's question. Applications are being verified and have been referred to Teagasc. When they are returned they will be processed for payment. Payments will be made as soon as possible.

I take it from the Minister's reply that the priority I sought will be given to issuing the payments, but I must point out——

Ceisteanna, le do thoil.

Does the Minister realise that regardless of what he may say about growers going out of business, a number of growers have reduced their acreage and are renting areas of glasshouse and other assets in the frantic attempt to remain in business?

Ceisteanna, gan óráid, a Theachta.

Theastaigh uaim an cheist sin a chur ar an Aire.

Ceart go leor.

Will the Minister bear in mind that growers in north County Dublin are going out of business by reducing their businesses?

Mr. Byrne

Is the Deputy referring to organic growers?

No, to all and sunday.

The scheme for compensation was introduced for the reasons outlined by the Deputy. In terms of a percentage of the entire holding, 50 per cent of the first, 97 applications received did not appear in the Teagasc survey and because of later changes additional applicants would have become eligible. As some applicants were not included in the Tagasc survey, a verification process is necessary. Obviously, when dealing with taxpayers' money everything must be verified. Time is not being lost and payments will be made as soon as possible.

Apart from those involved in horticulture, soft fruit and potato growing, will the Minister assure the House—as the Minister, Deputy Walsh, did in January — that beet and tillage farmers who sufferd a similar disastrous year due to adverse weather conditions will be considered under this compensation package? I got an absolute assurance from the Minister, Deputy Walsh, in January when I put this question to him.

This scheme relates to field vegetables, soft fruit apples, iceberg lettuce, celery, glasshouse lettuce, peppers, glasshouse tomatoes and vegetable plants.

Are there two schemes?

This scheme, as it operates in my section of the Department, relates to this area.

Are there two schemes?

This is the scheme that operates from my section of the Department.

Under what scheme will beet tillage farmers be taken care of? The Minister assured me in January they would be looked after under the weather aid programme.

That is a separate question.

The Minister is being disingenuous.

In other words, there is no scheme.

I can only take the Minister's word.

I accept that is all you can do and I respect that. This is exactly the same matter and the Minister is being distingenuous.

That is the usual procedure in this House and I do not know how to proceed unless we trust each other.

There will be another day.

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