Vol. 470 No. 7
244 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be visited by a compliance officer to enable the payment of the second instalment under the REP scheme. [19747/96]
The person concerned should have his prepayment check carried out within the next few weeks. Assuming that all is in order payment will issue as soon as possible thereafter.
245 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason the promised top-up payment on £2 and £1 respectively has not been paid for the 1996 ewe and ewe hoggett schemes; the reason for the delay in this regard; the date on which this payment will be made; the amount of money to be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19785/96]
The European Commission has only recently agreed to my proposal to pay the increases of £2 per hogget ewe and £1 per mountain breeding ewe under the 1996 disadvantaged areas sheep headage scheme. Payment of the normal rate of £10 per ewe under the 1996 sheep headage scheme has already commenced and I expect that payment of the increases in respect of hogget ewes and mountain breeding ewes will commence by early November. The increases will amount to £2.5 million.
246 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will front load all premia and other livestock payments and subsidies from the EU for Irish farmers to take account of small fragmented farms and to ensure that equity prevails between the smaller farmers of Ireland and the larger farmers in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19786/96]
The various EU premia and subsidies are paid in accordance with EU regulations. Those regulations provide for extensification premia for suckler cows and male bovines and for a 90-head limit on the special beef premium which generally favour smaller Irish farmers. In addition the headage payments in the disadvantaged areas are weighted in favour of small farmers.
