asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason EC cattle headage grants have not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry in respect of the 1986 year, in view of the fact that this person has had no off-farm income during the 1985-86 tax year; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
99.
What is at issue in this case is not off-farm income but the fact that the herds of the person named and his father were being worked as a single unit and consequently the two separate applications made under the 1986 disadvantaged areas scheme were amalgamated for grant payment purposes. All cattle headage grants due on foot of the amalgamated applications have already been paid and any further apportionment of the payments made is a matter for settlement between father and son. No grants under the 1986 EC suckler cow premium scheme were paid in this case due to failure to comply with the six month retention period specified in that scheme.
100.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if grants under the farm modernisation scheme of 1982-83 which had been approved in principle but not paid have now been paid; the value and number of grants involved; and the number of applicants from each county concerned.
It is assumed that the Deputy is referring to farm projects undertaken by farmers while the farm modernisation scheme was suspended in 1983. In 1985 it was decided to pay grants in respect of these projects provided application for approval has been made before the work was started.
The total number of grants paid was 2,084 — to the value of £2 million. The provision of a detailed breakdown of these payments would make severe demands on staff resources. If however the Deputy wants this information in respect of a particular county I will arrange to have it supplied.