asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries when he intends to announce the new areas within the disadvantaged areas that are being included as designated areas for headage payments.

15.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the additional areas of County Clare that have been included for payment under the cattle headage payment scheme for 1976; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

16.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the additional areas in County Monaghan which have been included for payment under the cattle headage payment scheme for 1976.

17.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries when a decision will be made to have marginal areas in County Galway included for cattle headage payments under the disadvantaged areas scheme.

18.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will name the additional areas in County Cork that have been included for payment under the disadvantaged areas scheme for 1976.

19.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if his Department has any plans to pay moneys under the disadvantaged areas scheme to disadvantaged farmers regardless of where they live; and if he will make a statement on the proposals, if any, he has to change the scheme.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 to 19 inclusive, together.

The question of extending the boundaries of the more severely handicapped areas in which cattle headage payments are made is currently being examined by the Commission in Brussels. I expect to have the Commissions decision within the next few weeks and an announcement will then be made.

Does that mean that the Minister will make an announcement in sufficient time for farmers to receive payment under this year's headage scheme, or will they have to wait another year?

I would contemplate bringing the newly-designated areas within the headage payment scheme this year, but a definite decision on this can be taken only when we receive the EEC decision on the matter. I expect that within a few weeks.

I take it that the areas agreed upon in Brussels will be paid under this current year's headage payments?

As the Deputy knows, all payments are not normally made within the year—some of them carry over—but my intention would be to include the new areas in the present year's scheme.

We will know in the near future what areas are included?

Yes.

Can the Minister say whether his Department have recommended to the EEC an extension of the areas in the counties mentioned?

It would not be before them were it not for the fact that we had made such a recommendation.

How long has the scheme been with the EEC?

I cannot give the exact date on which we submitted it to the EEC, but it has been with them some months and there has been a good deal of discussion at EEC level with people from here.

Will the Minister ensure that, in outlining the designated areas this time, some farmers will not find themselves in the position in which they have found themselves up to now: that part of their land is within the area and part of it outside and, as a result, they have not been paid headage grants yet?

This has to be done on the basis of the district electoral divisions. If some of the land happens to be outside it, there is not much we can do about it. There must be a recognised boundary of some description.

When will the Minister ensure that those people will be paid what they are entitled to in respect of the headage grants for the areas inside the boundary?

I cannot give any greater assurance than I have given. It is a question of counting the cattle and then paying farmers as soon as it is possible to do so. As the Deputy knows, there was a hold-up in the counting of cattle for reasons of which I disapprove.

There is still a hold-up.

There is no hold-up now.

There are people who have not been paid grants yet because of that.

Of course, but that is not abnormal; that they have not been paid the grant before the end of the year.

After 12 months—

Not last year's grants.

Order. Deputy Meaney is being called.

My question, No. 19, deals with a different problem altogether. It was about changing the system for a disadvantaged farmer, not a disadvantaged area. I think the Minister answered that question as well, whereas it was a different one. Has the Minister submitted proposals to the Commission in Brussels to change the whole system? A small farmer is a small farmer no matter where he may be, and there is a large volume of opinion in favour of that now.

No, we have not, not to change the whole system.

There is no proposal along those lines.

We want to keep the system in being but we do want to make modifications.

But there are disadvantaged farmers far outside the area and there are very big farmers within the area drawing the money. Is that not correct?

I appreciate that, but we cannot make legislation to suit ourselves.

I am asking the Minister: has a request been made along the lines suggested in Question No. 19?

No.