Austin Deasy
Question:139 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason for the delay in payment of a beef premium to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and when payment will issue.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The application of the person named for grants under the 1992 special beef premium scheme was rejected by computer at validation stage. The error is being dealt with at present and when it is resolved the application will be processed further and if found in order payment will then be made.
Jimmy Deenihan
Question:140 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a beef premium payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry.
The person named was paid special beef premium scheme grants on his June 1992 application in mid-November 1992.
His November/December 1992 application will be processed as soon as possible.
John O'Leary
Question:141 Mr. O'Leary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when cattle headage grants will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person named has failed to satisfy my Department that he is entitled to headage or premium grants. My Department wrote to his solicitors in January 1993 outlining in some detail the reasons why these grants could not be paid and their lengthy response is currently being examined. A further reply will be issued to his solicitors shortly.
Tony Killeen
Question:142 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a number of farmers' applications for beef premium and headage payments have been rejected because ID card numbers used in completing the forms do not agree with ear tag numbers; if he will introduce an appeals forum for such cases; and if he will approve card numbers for use in the 1993 schemes.
Farmers who intended applying for cattle headage and premium scheme grants last year were advised in special help-sheets which accompanied application forms to read the numbers on animals ear-tags, to record those numbers in a notebook, to check the numbers against their cattle identity cards, to re-check the numbers on animals' ear-tags in cases where discrepancies were found and to enter the correct numbers of animals ear-tags in their applications. The responsibility for ensuring that ear-tag numbers quoted on application forms are correct rests with applicants and there is no reason an appeals forum should be introduced for those applicants who failed to quote the correct numbers.
The numbers which should be quoted on application forms are those on animals ear-tags, and not those on cattle identity cards and this remains the position for 1993 schemes.