Vol. 476 No. 3
158 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when his Department will pay the EU BSE compensation package due to farmers since October 1996; the basis on which payment will be made; and the amounts per head of livestock to be paid. [7055/97]
I am at present finalising details for the payment of the £30 million BSE compensatory payments package which was adopted by the Agriculture Council last December. However, in order to streamline the administration of these payments I have decided that, if possible, they should be done in conjunction with the agrimonetary aid package which I am seeking from the European Union to compensate producers for the recent revaluations of the Irish agricultural conversion rates.
It is my intention that these payments will be distributed as equitably as possible to ensure that all producers who encountered losses due to the BSE crisis will be compensated.
I hope to be in a position to announce the details of these payments shortly.
