asked the Minister for Agriculture the steps taken to improve farm incomes of smallholders residing on the Aran Islands and Inishbofin, County Galway.

I am wondering what motivated this question. As part of the Government's efforts to help farm incomes in handicapped areas such as the Aran Islands and Inisbofin, the following measures have been taken this year.

(1) headage grants on beef cows have been increased from £32 to £70 on the first eight and from £28 to £66 on the next 22 beef cows;

(2) headage grants on dairy cows have been increased by 25 per cent;

(3) as a result of the special EEC aid negotiated recently, the £32 and £28 rates under the cattle headage scheme are being increased to £50 and £44 for the 1986 scheme.

In addition, farmers on the islands mentioned are of course eligible for such grants as those under the farm improvement scheme to enable them to improve their holdings and so raise their incomes.