I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 42 together.
EC Regulations require all animals being submitted for the special beef premium to be accompanied by administrative documents in order to indicate to intending purchasers the premium status of the animals and to ensure that the premium is not paid more than once at each age category. For the present, the BTE cattle identity cards are being used as administrative documents and applicants for the premium are required to submit these cards along with their applications.
As the Deputy may be aware, I have decided to set up a central office in Portlaoise for processing applications under the special beef premium scheme because I believe that this is the best way to make maximum use of the additional staff being allocated to my Department to handle the extra work arising from the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy reform measures in the cattle and sheep sectors. However, offices will not be available for some time in Portlaoise and, in the meantime, applications for the scheme will be processed at a special office in Dublin. Farmers have, therefore, been advised to send their application forms to Agriculture House in Dublin. However, I have made arrangements also for applications for this scheme to be accepted in local offices in exceptional circumstances. Such applications should be put in a special envelope and maked "special beef premium". I would strongly advise farmers to send their applications directly to the Department in Dublin because this will help to reduce the burden on local offices as they deal with other schemes and at the same time expedite the processing of applications in the new central office.
With regard to the loss of the BTE cards which have been submitted for the scheme, the procedures already in place under ERAD regulations for the replacement of lost cards will be applied. BTE cards are transmitted from the DVO to individual farmers on a daily basis and experience shows that the cards are rarely lost.
I am fully conscious of the importance of ensuring that the BTE cards are returned to farmers in time to enable them to sell their animals. With this in mind I have arranged that the cards will be punched and notched at the time the application is being registered so that they can be returned to farmers within one month of the arrival of the application in the central office in Dublin. As the Deputy may be aware, farmers may not sell animals submitted for the scheme for two months after the lodgement of their application and I am confident that the arrangements in place will ensure that all cards are returned to farmers in time to enable them to sell their cattle as soon as they wish after the end of the retention period.