Michael Ring
Ceist:151 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of farmers that will be affected by the new regulations on a ceiling of headage payments nationwide and in County Mayo. [3016/98]
Written Answers. - Headage Payments.
In Mayo 96 farmers out of an estimated 12,000 disadvantaged area schemes applicants will be affected by the £4,000 limit, that is, less than 1 per cent. Nationwide, it is estimated that 1,211 farmers out of an estimated 94,000 applicants will be affected.
It was agreed in the Partnership 2000 negotiations that a ceiling of £3,024 would come into effect at the beginning of 1998. However, following further consideration of the matter, I announced on 2 February 1998 that the ceiling for individual payments would be increased.
Thus, the change now being put in place ensures that all but a small number of farmers are unaffected. This group of applicants received an average premium payment of £15,213 in 1996 and applying headage payments ceiling at £4,000 would result in an average combined headage-premium payment in excess of £19,000 for these applicants.