John Ellis
Question:285 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when payments under sheep headage and premia, cattle headage, suckler cow premia, beef premia and extensification schemes will be made for 1996. [18456/96]
Written Answers. - Headage Payments.
John Ellis
Question:287 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the amount of payments made, by county, on 8 October 1996, undercattle headage, sheep headage, ewe premia, suckler cow premia, ten and 22 month beef premia, equine headage and extensification schemes for 1996. [18458/96]
John Ellis
Question:290 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if his Department will have completed all 1995 top-up payments in the beef sector by 15 October 1996. [18509/96]
The position in relation to payments under the 1996 livestock headage and premia schemes is that the first instalment of the 1996 ewe premium was paid in July 1996. The special once-off top-up for sheep producers in non-disadvantaged areas was formally approved by EU at the end of July and was paid in early August. Payments under the 1996 deseasonalisation slaughter premium commenced on 1 March 1996. Payments under the 1996 cattle and sheep headage schemes commenced on 26 September. Advance payments — representing 80 per cent of entitlement — under the 1996 suckler cow premium scheme and the 1996 special beef premium scheme are due to commence on 1 November. Extensification premium payments cannot be made until such time as the final instalments of the 1996 suckler cow premium and special beef premium have been paid. It is expected that 1996 extensification premium payments will be made in the period April to June 1997. Advance payments under the arable aid oilseeds scheme were paid on 30 September 1996 and payments under the remaining arable schemes will commence shortly. I can confrim that over recent weeks my Department has concentrated solely on making payments valued at £70 million under the BSE compensation package. This involved over 190,000 payments which had to be made by 15 October 1996. This money has now been paid.
The following table sets out the amount paid to farmers under the various livestock headage and premia schemes in the period 1 January 1996 to 8 October 1996. This includes payments made under the 1995 and 1996 schemes. I regret that if has not been possible to give a breakdown by county.
|
Scheme |
Amount Paid in 1996 under 1995 and 1996 Schemes |
|
£m |
|
|
Cattle Headage |
27,274 |
|
Ewe Premium |
92.151 |
|
Sheep Headage |
4.674 |
|
Goat Headage |
0.032 |
|
Special Beef Premium |
79.299 |
|
Suckler Cow |
60.565 |
|
Slaughter Premium |
15.752 |
|
Equine Headage |
0.590 |
|
Extensification |
59.528 |
|
Arable Aid |
0.994 |
|
BSE Package |
60.879 |
|
Total |
402.188 |