asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will pay a hardship fund grant to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

Payments from the Depopulation Fund (formerly the Hardship Fund) are confined to cases where herds have to be depopulated because of very severe infection with TB or brucellosis. Depopulation of the herd of the person named is not contemplated and, therefore, the question of a payment from the fund does not arise.

339.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will pay grant aid under the farm modernisation scheme to a person (details supplied) in County Louth which was disallowed even though the development was part of a farm development plan.

No application for grant aid under the scheme was made to the farm development service in this case. As the work was carried out without the prior written approval of the FDS, it is not eligible for aid under the scheme.

340.

asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason a suckler calf subsidy has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow.

Calf premium and calved heifer grants have not been paid to the person named as my Department is not satisfied that the animals on which grants are being claimed are his property.

341.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will approve a grant to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon for release from a milk quota.

It is assumed the Deputy is referring to an application to join the milk cessation scheme. This scheme was oversubscribed and selection had to be made by ballot. The person indicated was not successful in the ballot.