Joe Walsh
Ceist:139 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that Ireland retains the valuable deseasonalisation premium; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19002/95]
Written Answers. - Deseasonalisation Premium.
The deseasonalisation slaughter premium is payable in member states where the number of steers slaughtered in the period 1 September to 30 November of the second preceding year exceeds 40 per cent of annual steer slaughterings. On that basis, the deseasonalisation slaughter premium will be payable in Ireland in 1996. This scheme is designed to encourage a better seasonal spread of slaughterings in regions with traditional seasonal imbalances in production. It has been very successful in Ireland in meeting this objective.
However, the success of the scheme in reducing the seasonality of steer slaughterings this autumn has caused slaughterings in the relevant period this year to fall below the 40 per cent threshold. In view of this and in order to prevent a reversal to the traditional seasonal pattern I have asked the European Commission to propose a reduction in the trigger to 35 per cent in order to guarantee payment of the premium in future years. This request is at present being considered by the Commission services.