Vol. 483 No. 4
88 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers in County Mayo and nation-wide on a county basis who availed of the farm retirement scheme for each of the years from 1995 to date in 1997; the number who were refused in this regard; and the reasons for these refusals. [20714/97]
I have set out the county breakdown of participants in the farm retirement scheme for each of the years from 1995-1996 and 1997 (to date).
The Department processes each application on an individual basis and the applicant is advised personally of the reasons for refusal. It is not practicable to provide information on the reasons for refusal as requested by the Deputy.
Numbers entering the scheme of early retirement from farming broken down by county and year of entering
|
County |
Nos. Entering in 1995 |
Nos. Entering in 1996 |
Nos. Entering to date '97 |
|
Carlow |
34 |
17 |
27 |
|
Cavan |
86 |
50 |
40 |
|
Clare |
114 |
71 |
54 |
|
Cork |
351 |
303 |
337 |
|
Donegal |
34 |
23 |
12 |
|
Dublin |
17 |
14 |
9 |
|
Galway |
100 |
56 |
69 |
|
Kerry |
148 |
131 |
126 |
|
Kildare |
53 |
28 |
26 |
|
Kilkenny |
108 |
73 |
72 |
|
Laois |
64 |
50 |
46 |
|
Leitrim |
27 |
17 |
3 |
|
Limerick |
166 |
130 |
65 |
|
Longford |
27 |
25 |
12 |
|
Louth |
36 |
20 |
17 |
|
Mayo |
58 |
33 |
17 |
|
Meath |
72 |
47 |
55 |
|
Monaghan |
48 |
29 |
18 |
|
Offaly |
66 |
41 |
27 |
|
Roscommon |
53 |
47 |
32 |
|
Sligo |
34 |
21 |
18 |
|
Tipperary |
236 |
175 |
179 |
|
Waterford |
65 |
38 |
67 |
|
Westmeath |
70 |
33 |
28 |
|
Wexford |
178 |
149 |
124 |
|
Wicklow |
38 |
30 |
21 |
|
Totals |
2283 |
1651 |
1501 |
89 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the plans, if any, he has to change the qualifying criteria for the farm retirement scheme in relation to the number of acres farmed in view of the large volume of small farmers in the west of Ireland. [20715/97]
It is a requirement of Council Regulation 2079/92 under which the scheme of early retirement from farming is implemented that the minimum size of the holding to be transferred to an eligible transferee is five hectares of utilisable agricultural area.
Currently over 7,000 farmers have availed of the scheme, which is well ahead of the anticipated target at this stage. It is clear that the minimum holding requirement of five hectares of utilisable agricultural area has not had any significant impact on the uptake of the scheme. However, as I have stated in reply to previous similar questions, when the current scheme is being reviewed it is my intention that this matter will be raised with the European Commission.
90 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her late husband's 1997 headage and premia through her solicitors as agreed with his Department. [20717/97]
Grants due under the 1997 cattle headage scheme, the advance under the 1997 suckler cow scheme and the second advance under the 1997 ewe premium scheme will issue within the next two weeks.
