99 Mr. J. Fox asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the total number of payments still outstanding to applicants for ewe premia in counties Wicklow, Kildare and Carlow; the total amount of the payments outstanding; and when he plans to have those payments completed.

100 Mr. J. Fox asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when the 1993 EC ewe premia were received by him; and the reason so many of these premia have not been paid in full.

101 Mr. J. Fox asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the total number of completed payments of ewe premia which have been made in the country, and in the counties of Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare.

102 Mr. J. Fox asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of applications for ewe premia received from farmers in counties Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare.

103 Mr. J. Fox asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the total number of applicants who applied for the 1993 EC ewe premia.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 to 103 inclusive together. From contact with the Deputy's office I understand that all of these questions relate to the ewe premium scheme.

Ewe premium entitlement is payable in accordance with EU regulations. Expenditure on the scheme by my Department is reimbursed from the EU on the third working day of the second month following month of expenditure. Normally payments are made by way of three instalments fixed by the European Commission. In 1993 it was decided that the first and second instalments could be paid together. In Ireland's case payment of the first and second instalment commenced on 27 July 1993. On Friday last, I announced that the European Commission has now fixed the third, i.e. final instalment of the 1993 ewe premium and following publication of that decision in the Official Journal of the EU, payment will be made to flockowners. It is anticipated that payment of the final instalment will commence in late March.

To date 48,888 payments of first and second instalments have been made amounting to £70 million on foot of 52,684 applications. The estimated value of the third instalment is £50 million. The position in regard to payment of the first and second instalments in Counties Wicklow, Carlow and Kildare is as follows: