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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 15 Jun 1999

Vol. 506 No. 2

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

155 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a fodder allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [14900/99]

The person named is one of a small number of herdowners who were paid fodder aid on their sheep but not on their cows. Arrangements are being put in place to make any outstanding fodder payments as soon as possible.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

156 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a fodder allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [14901/99]

The person named is one of a small number of herdowners who were paid fodder aid on their sheep but not on their cows. Arrangements are being put in place to make any outstanding fodder payments as soon as possible.

Dinny McGinley

Question:

157 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a fodder allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [14902/99]

The person named did not lodge an application for the 1998 suckler cow premium, ewe premium or sheep headage schemes and did not hold a milk quota on 1 April 1998. Therefore, he does not qualify for assistance under the winter fodder scheme.

Michael Finucane

Question:

158 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in payment of a 1998 cow suckler grant to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [14907/99]

The person named applied for 48 suckler cows under the 1998 suckler cow premium scheme on 29 May 1998. This established an entitlement of £6,731.04.

Acting with the authorisation of the person named, the Department offset £3,325.20 against Land Commission arrears of annuities and rents. The remaining balance of £3,405.84 was paid direct to the person concerned on 17 February 1999.

Michael Ring

Question:

159 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not received payment of 1998 cattle and sheep headage and suckler cow premium in view of the fact she has resubmitted maps to the area aid unit. [14930/99]

The person named returned maps to the area aid unit and these have now been fully processed. Overclaims have been determined on two of the parcels claimed. The area aid unit has written to the applicant in this regard. No payments can issue until all outstanding matters have been resolved.

Cecilia Keaveney

Question:

160 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the current position in relation to an application for a hardship grant for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14939/99]

The person named received his full entitlement of £60 including 50 per cent top-up, in respect of one cow under the general winter fodder scheme. As he qualified for this scheme, he is not entitled to assistance under the special hardship scheme.

John Ellis

Question:

161 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if headage and suckler payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo. [14945/99]

As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 155 of 18 May 1999, the person named submitted an incomplete area aid application, in that he did not enter all the land he wished to claim on his application form. An amended application form which was subsequently accepted by the area aid unit was not accompanied by all the relevant maps. Following further contact by the area aid unit, the applicant submitted completed maps. These maps have now been processed. Overclaims have been determined on all but one of the parcels claimed by the applicant. Furthermore, one of the overclaimed parcels is also the subject of a dual claim. The applicant has been written to concerning the resolution of these problems and a reply is awaited.

Jack Wall

Question:

162 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if investigations will be made into an application for the sheep headage payouts scheme in a disadvantaged area for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [14961/99]

As the person named was not an applicant under the 1998 sheep headage scheme, I am assuming that the question relates to the rural world payment she received with the first instalment of the 1998 ewe premium.

The position is that the lodgement of an area aid application, in order to qualify for the rural world premium, is a requirement under EU regulations. Consequently the position remains as set out in my reply of 18 May last to Parliamentary Question No. 174.

John Perry

Question:

163 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the total hectares of land for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo was amended to 26.10 hectares following an inspection; if his total acreage will be immediately amended, his area aid problems resolved and full headage payment released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14962/99]

The 1998 area aid application form submitted by the person named had certain inconsistencies in that the summary total on the front of his application form was 16.60 hectares, while the sum of the parcels on page two of the application form totalled 24.75 hectares.

The area aid unit gave the applicant the benefit of the 24.75 hectares claimed on page 2 of the form. The on the ground inspection determined that the applicant had 26.10 hectares. However, EU regulations do not permit the adding of land to an application after the final closing date. Any area aid related payments can, therefore, only be based on a figure of 24.75 hectares declared by the applicant on page two of his application.

A supplementary payment of £325.77 will issue to the person named within the next three weeks. His total grant, based on 24.75 hectares, is subject to forage area restrictions as set out in clause 27 of the terms and conditions governing the 1998 cattle headage scheme which provides that an applicant qualifying for headage grants may not receive in respect of such grants more than £89.62 per forage hectare.

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