Vol. 484 No. 4
77 Mr. Higgins (Mayo): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a calf premium payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who forwarded his calf premium application to his Department's Portlaoise office with the cards for the animal and has evidence of posting his applications. [22397/97]
Under the 1997 calf processing scheme, the premium is payable to the processor, not the producer. Calves are purchased from the producers by the processors or their agents at a market price which is generally a little less than the rate of premium payable to the processor. Application forms are not available to or completed by producers.
78 Mr. Higgins (Mayo): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in the payment of headage grants to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22398/97]
The following payment has now issued to the person named: £1,053 in respect of 1997 cattle headage application.
79 Mr. Higgins (Mayo): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the ongoing delay in the payment of headage, beef premium and suckler cow grants to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that the area of land shown in the aerial photograph is totally wrong and shows a mere four acres as against the 65 acres actually owned and verified on the maps. [22399/97]
The following payments have now issued to the person named: £2,056.65 in respect of 1997 cattle headage application; £1,851.03 in respect of 1997 suckler cow application, and £595.12 in respect of 1997 ten month special beef premium application.
80 Mr. Higgins (Mayo): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the non-payment of 1997 headage grants to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [22400/97]
The following payment has now issued to the person named: £96 in respect of 1997 cattle headage application.
81 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when beef cow and suckler premia grants will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of the fact that all documentation has been supplied to his Department. [22401/97]
The Department has no record of receiving 1997 beef cow headage application or 1997 suckler cow premium scheme application from the person named. The person named submitted one application under the 1997 ten month special beef premium scheme and one application under the 1997 22 month special beef premium scheme on 10 April 1997. A further application under the 1997 22 month special beef premium scheme was submitted on 8 October 1997.
Milk quota details were required before payment could be made. These have been confirmed and payment of the applications received on 10 April 1997 will be made before Christmas. Payment of the application received on 8 October 1997 will issue in January 1998.
82 Mr. Browne (Wexford): asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in paying area aid grants to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [22402/97]
Processing of the arable area aid application of the person named is nearing completion and it is expected that payment will issue shortly.
83 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment of his REP scheme grant. [22403/97]
This application is being processed at present and, if found to be in order, payment will be made within the next forthnight.
84 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Finance if he will give details of the National Debt as at 1 December 1997; and if he will outline the long-term policy of the Government in dealing with the issue. [22423/97]
The National Debt as at 1 December 1997 amounted to IR£29,779 million.
As outlined in An Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government has committed itself to tighter management of the economy to maximise the long-term potential for growth, jobs, social inclusion and improved living standards for all. In pursuing this objective, our programme also identified a number of key priorities, including running a current budget surplus and the elimination of Exchequer borrowing over the next two to three years, if present conditions continue, to reduce the burden of the national debt.
