Andrew Boylan
Ceist:25 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will ensure that premium and headage payments due on 1 November 1997, are paid promptly on that date. [15438/97]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
In line with the commitments in the Charter of Rights for Farmers, advance payments of 60 per cent to applicants for special beef and suckler cow premia will commence on 1 November. I will ensure that any premium and headage payments for which applicants are eligible on 1 November 1997 will be paid on or very soon after that date.
It is inevitable that the eligibility of a number of applicants will not have been established to the satisfaction of the competent paying authority by that date — as has been the case every year. In these cases, my objective is to have them finalised as early as possible and paid, where eligible, before the end of December as provided for in the charter.