Is it the intention of the Government to grant-aid people who had the work completed prior to 9 February and who were awaiting a visit from an officer of the farm development service?

I did not hear the first part of the question. Does it refer to the written approval?

Where approval was given orally by the farm development service, and where the work was carried out properly?

Unless the approval was given in writing it cannot be grant-aided.

Does the Minister agree that, since it is not the farmers' fault, it is the fault of his Department? Therefore the grant aid should be paid as promised because the farmer lived up to his part of the bargain.

That seems to be argument.

It is not a different question.

It was one of the conditions of the farm modernisation scheme over the years that a farmer had to have written approval from the FDS office in order to qualify for a grant.

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