Michael P. Kitt
Ceist:24 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has on the continued payment of headage payments to farmers over 66 years of age. [23013/96]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
John Ellis
Ceist:28 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the changes, if any, he has agreed to in relation to the headage payment scheme. [23391/96]
Donal Moynihan
Ceist:73 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has made and/or agreed in relation to the continuing payment of headage to farmers over 65 years of age. [23400/96]
Chris Flood
Ceist:74 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposals, if any, he has brought forward in relation to the headage payment scheme. [23392/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 28, 73 and 74 together.
A formal commitment to have compensatory headage payments independently evaluated was entered into by my Department as part of the negotiations in 1994 on the Structural Funds leading up to the approval of the Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry. The Commission's attitude was that the funds allocated to this measure represented too high a percentage — 62 per cent of the overall allocation to the structural improvement and rural development element of the operational programme.
The consultants who carried out the evaluation came up with many recommendations. Following consultation with the farm bodies on the consultants' report, I have made a number of proposals to the European Commission to provide for amendments to the headage schemes in 1997 and following years. These would involve some limits on the overall level of payment, adjustments to a small number of grant rates and a better targeting of payments to meet the overall aim of the disadvantaged areas scheme. Discussions on these proposals with the Commission are ongoing. I will, of course announce the details as soon as Commission agreement has been obtained.