Phil Hogan
Question:99 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a land drainage grant and a farm roadway grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow.
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
A grant in respect of a farm roadway will be paid within the next two weeks. A further payment in respect of land improvement will be made within four to six weeks.
Theresa Ahearn
Question:100 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason for the delay in payments to cereal farmers for set-aside acreage; when payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There is no delay in making payments to farmers under the arable area aid payments scheme. The relevant EU Regulation provides that these payments shall be made between 16 October and 31 December following the harvest. Ninety four per cent of applications have already been paid and the remaining eligible applications will be paid over the next few weeks as outstanding queries are clarified.
Ivan Yates
Question:101 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be allocated additional ewe quota from the national reserve; when decisions will be made in this regard; and the categories that will be given priority in such allocations.
An application for ewe premium reserve quota received from the person named is being processed at present. He will be notified of the outcome within two weeks.
The terms and conditions for allocating quota from the reserve provide that quota be granted to the following categories of flockowners in descending order of priority:—
Category 1
(a) flockowners whose application for the ewe premium in 1991, due to exceptional circumstances, did not correspond to the true situation of their holdings in previous years;
(b) flockowners who have regularly submitted an application for the ewe premium (including in 1992) but who have not done so in 1991;
(c) flockowners who were paid the ewe premium in 1991 but did not apply in 1992 due to exceptional circumstances;
(d) flockowners who submitted an application for the ewe premium for the first time in 1992 or subsequent years and who meet the following conditions:
—are under 35 years of age,
—their total household income is less than £14,822 per annum,
—and have the following educational qualifications
—if born after 1 January 1968, must have (a) obtained the Teagasc Certificate in farming or a higher qualification or (b) have 3 years practical experience in farming and have satisfactorily completed a course of training in farming of a minimum duration of 150 hours, or
(ii) if born before 1 January 1968, meet the requirement outlined in (i) or have 5 years practical experience in farming.
Category 2
Flockowners who can demonstrate that the operation of the quota limits will jeopardise the viability of their holdings and who have embarked on (i) a farm improvement plan involving sheep production drawn up by 1 January 1993 or (ii) a finance restructuring plan related to sheep production drawn up in conjunction with Teagasc by 1 January 1993.
Only those flockowners where the total household income is less than £14,822 per annum may qualify for an allocation of reserve quota under this category.
Category 3
Flockowners who have acquired land formerly used for sheep production by other producers.
Category 4
Flockowners who applied for the ewe premium for the first time in 1992 shall have priority access to quota which would have been allocated to flockowners who applied for the premium in 1991 but who, having ceased sheep farming, did not apply for the ewe premium in 1992 and whose holding was not taken over by another flockowner.
Paul Bradford
Question:102 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the amount of money due to a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the 22 month beef premium scheme; and when payment will issue.
The application of the person named for grants under the January-February 1993 special beef premium scheme is being processed at present and if found in order a 60 per cent advance amounting to £569.48 will be paid shortly.
He did not apply for grants under the special beef premium scheme in the June 1993 application period.
Paul Bradford
Question:103 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if a person (details supplied) in County Cork has been approved for payment of the special beef premium; if so, the amount due to this person under the scheme; and when payment will issue.
The applications of the person named for grants under the January-February 1993 and June 1993 special beef premium schemes are being processed at present and if found in order 60 per cent advances amounting to £822.59 will be paid shortly.
Paul Bradford
Question:104 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if, with reference to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 90 of 25 November 1993, he will have arrangements made to have the application re-examined and an early decision conveyed to the applicant in view of further correspondence (details supplied) on the matter.
The stock numbers provided by the applicant on the application form are at variance with the district veterinary office certificates which were subsequently submitted by the applicant.
The Department therefore has requested Teagasc to have the applicant submit further supporting documentation, by way of audited farm accounts for 1987, in order to establish eligibility.
I am advised that Teagasc requested this information on 16 October 1990 and again on 22 October 1990. The application cannot be advanced in the absence of this information.