Michael Creed
Ceist:242 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Cork whose sheep quota was lost to the national reserve will have this quota restored to him. [8111/99]
Written Answers. - Sheep Quota.
The person named held a ewe quota of 14 premium rights. He leased out the quota in 1996 and in 1997. He did not lease it out in 1998 because he claimed that he was unable to do so because of an oversupply of quota on the market. This reason was not accepted as constituting exceptional circumstances and his quota was returned to the national reserve for redistribution to other farmers who needed extra quota to ensure payment on all their eligible ewes under the ewe premium scheme.