First it was the cows but now it is the farmers who are being "driven bonkers", according to the Western People.

The Department of Agriculture has sent "inaccurate" maps of the region to Mayo's livestock farmers seeking subsidies under the area aid scheme. To qualify, farmers must pencil in their land boundaries on Government maps. But over 75 per cent of the maps have errors and confusion is rife. The chairman of Mayo IFA, Mr Brendan O'Mahoay, said farmers could not be held responsible for any mistakes.

"Some farmers have got no maps, other have some maps, more have maps with some fields not outlined, while more have maps with plots outlined incorrectly," he said.

All this on top of the trauma caused by the BSE crisis, with a Kilcormack farmer quoted by the Offaly Independent as saving it was "making a disaster of a ship that was already toppling".

Many of the papers are suggesting income alternatives. The Kilkenny People has a full page guide on applying for EU grants and subsidies offered under the Rural Environment Protection Scheme, which provides "a real opportunity to farm in a more environmentally friendly way and at the same time increase farm income".

Tourism interests in Co Wicklow are pushing hard to have the US "senses Baywatch filmed on their golden stretches of sand, the Wicklow People reports. "Images of Pamela Anderson cavorting in the Brittas Bay surf are sure to set temperatures and tourist figures soaring, and tourism operators in the county are eager to milk the opportunity for all it's worth," says the paper.

Many of the papers asked political representatives whether they felt compromised by all that wealth published in the Register of Members' Interests.

The Fianna Fail millionaire, Ned O'Keeffe, told the Corkman that his wealth liberated him from possible bribes and backhanders. He said the Dail needed more people like him, a pig and dairy farmer with assets of about £7 million. "You can be your own man if you have money and less likely to be compromised than politicians who get into financial difficulties," he said.

The Wexford People analyses all the wealth of its public representatives and concludes its study with the headline Rich man Ivan ... Poor man Brendan - the Minister for Agriculture, Ivan Yates, is the wealthiest of the county's five TDs, with the Labour Minister for the Environment the poor political cousin.

The Kerryman concentrates on surplus payments to teachers who become TDs. The junior minister, Jimmy Deenihan, has not taught since October 1983 but still receives £200 a month from the Department of Education. Mr Deenihan said the system was in place before he arrived in the Dail and he "would not protest in the least if the practice was stopped".

The paper's editorial said the system should be abolished. "It is an issue which will generate even greater cynicism about politicians amongst members of the general public, some of whom would consider themselves lucky in the extreme to have a £200 monthly income for effectively doing nothing."

The Southern Star said the register only gave a "very vague idea" of politicians' worth and it remained difficult for the public to detect conflict of interests.

The paper questioned whether the scheme was any use as it would not have revealed that the former Minister for Energy, Brian Cowen, had shares in Arcon. Only those with shares worth over £10,000 had to declare them. The paper's editorial says Mr Cowen had a technical conflict of interest with only 1,000 shares in Arcon and adds that the limit seems too high.

"There is, consequently, a cover up at the heart of this entire charade that makes a mockery of the supposed accountability and transparently, promised in the programme for government", it says.

People in Meath, meanwhile, are wondering whether they are at the heart of a conspiracy plotted in the Dublin headquarters of the National Lottery. Between 1990 and 1993, it only received 41 per cent of the funding sent to the rest of the State.

The Meath Chronicle quotes a study carried out by the Labour TD, Pat Upton, who found Cavan was getting most of the money, coveting 374 per cent of the national average. "They have the International Fund for Ireland, the special Delors Border money as well as other major funding there," said Mr Upton, adding that there was "something in whingeing".

The Longford News reports that C & D Foods which is part owned by Albert Reynolds, is to get £720,000 from the Business Employment Scheme to help create 40 new jobs.

The Longford News reports that Garda checkpoints set up in January to catch people attacking the elderly in rural areas had yielded £40,000 in motor fines.

According to the Longford Motor Tax Office, motorists began paying outstanding arrears when the checkpoints started. The checkpoints, called Operation Shannon, were wound up on Thursday but will be replaced by a similar operation - if only to catch deviant motorists.