(Cavan-Monaghan) asked the Minister for Agriculture (a) if the EEC farmers' retirement scheme is still being operated by his Department; (b) the number of applications received by his Department since 1 January 1982; (c) the number of cases in which a decision has been made on the application and conveyed to the applicant; (d) the number of cases in which his Department decided to open negotiations with the applicant on price and the number of cases in which it was decided not to proceed to open negotiations about price; and (e) the cause of the delay in processing applications.

The farmers' retirement scheme is still in operation; allocations of £1.5 million for purchase of land and £800,000 for payment of premiums and life annuities under the scheme have been made available in the Lands Vote for the current year. Applications for participation in the scheme are processed in the light of available resources.

The information sought at parts (b), (c) and (d) of the Question is in the form of a tabular statement which I propose to circulate with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

Note: Figures in each category relate to the period 1 January 1982 to 26 October 1982.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Does the Minister agree that £1.5 million is a very small allocation for the purchase of land in view of the fact that the amount allocated for the first year was £3 million? Is it not a fact that the Department are telling applicants there will be very considerable delays in processing applications? Can the Minister tell me what delay there is and how it arises?

The allocation of £1.5 million was in the Book of Estimates published by the National Coalition Government.

(Cavan-Monaghan): And adopted by the Minister's Government.

I am putting the ball back into the Deputy's court. He was a member of the Government who made the allocation of £1.5 million for the Department of Lands. Those estimates were accepted by the Government. I agree that the money is not sufficient for the number of applications. We are endeavouring to bring forward a new land policy, as I made quite plain last week in reply to a question put down to me by the former Minister for Agriculture, Deputy Dukes. Our big problem lies in the fact that the rateable valuation system, which a good deal of the legislation depended upon, has been appealed to the Supreme Court. Until that matter has been cleared out of the way we are not in a position to bring forward an up-to-date land policy.

(Cavan-Monaghan): What in the name of goodness has the poor law valuation system to do with the farmers' retirement scheme? Am I wrong in getting the impression that for all practical purposes the Department are not operating this scheme? Am I right in saying that the number of applications under the scheme increased this year and last year, and that the standard reply from the Minister's Department is that there will be considerable delay in processing applications?

It is true that the £1.5 million allocated has been used up.

(Cavan-Monaghan): If a farmer makes an application under the scheme, is it not a fact that no indication can be given to him as to when he will get a decision on the application?

I have already made it plain that the money allocated last year has been used up. I cannot say anything further than that.

(Cavan-Monaghan): The Minister could bring in a supplementary estimate.