Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 30 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 6

Written Answers. - Suckler Cow Units.

Michael Creed

Ceist:

156 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of suckler cow units available for distribution from the national reserve in 1999; the amount of units granted in categories A, B and C; and if a person (details supplied) in County Cork is entitled to any quota under category C. [9049/99]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

There are 4,017 suckler cow premium rights available for distribution from the 1999 national reserve.

Details of allocations of reserve quota are as follows :

Category	Total Applications	Number of successful applicants	Amount of quota allocated	Query cases
A	217	29	248	6
B	1,942	597	3,300	58
C	1,875	13	20	0
Total	4,034	639	3,568	64

The quota review group recommended, and I accepted, that reserve quota should be allocated to eligible applicants under categories A and B in the first instance.

If there is any quota remaining after eligible applicants in those categories have received allocations, that surplus will be distributed to eligible applicants in category C.

I have accepted that eligible applicants resident on off-shore islands, although applying under category C may receive the same priority as those applying under categories A and B. Thirteen farmers in this group have received 20 premium rights.

The remaining 64 cases, which are awaiting the resolution of queries, will, provided the queries are resolved satisfactorily, be allocated 297 premium rights which will bring the total allocations to 3,861 premium rights. The remaining balance of 156 premium rights is held in the event of successful appeals or where exceptional circumstances may apply.

As the person named applied under category C and does not reside on an off-shore island, there is not sufficient quota in the reserve to enable an allocation of quota to be made to him.