Vol. 473 No. 4
502 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his sheep and cattle headage premia in view of the fact that he has complied with all the requests. [25222/96]
521 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his sheep and cattle headage premia in view of the fact that he has complied with all requests. [1064/97]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 502 and 521 together.
The person named was paid reduced grants under the 1996 sheep and cattle headage schemes on 4 November 1996 as his acreage was incorrect on the area aid file. The area aid situation has now been amended and the balances due to him will issue within two weeks.
He was paid the advance of his 1996 suckler cow premium on 24 December 1996 and the balance will issue within the next four weeks. He was paid the first and second advances of his 1996 ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996, respectively. The final instalment will be issued when the rate is published by the EU.
503 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle headage premium. [1038/97]
The person named was paid his cattle headage grant on 6 January 1997. He was paid the advance of his 1996 suckler cow premium on 19 December 1996 and the balance will be paid within the next four weeks. He was paid the first and second advances of his 1996 ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996, respectively. The final instalment will be issued when the rate is published by the EU.
504 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle headage premium. [1039/97]
The person named will be paid his 1996 cattle headage grant within the next two weeks. He was paid his 1996 suckler cow premium on 11 November 1996 and the balance will issue within the next four weeks.
505 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether it will be necessary for farmers in future to obtain tax clearance certificates for farm development grants. [1041/97]
575 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the EU Commission has ruled that RSI/tax clearance pre-conditions applied by the Irish Government since 1994 for headage and other payments to farmers are illegal under Article 169 of the Treaty of Rome. [1791/97]
576 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether the RSI/tax clearance requirement will be removed from headage and other application forms due to Article 169 of the Treaty of Rome. [1792/97]
577 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the steps, if any, he will take to ensure all headage and other moneys legally due to farmers who filled application forms without supplying RSI numbers or tax clearance confirmation will be paid out immediately. [1793/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 505, 575, 576 and 577 together.
The EU Commission has raised certain issues in relation to the application of tax clearance to headage payments and following discussions with the Commission, who have decided not to pursue proceedings under Article 169 of the Treaty of Rome, certain modifications were made to the tax clearance rules for headage payments. Applicants for payments over £500 and less than £5,000 are requested to supply their RSI number and a declaration that their tax affairs are in order and applicants for payments over £5,000 are requested to provide a tax clearance certificate. Failure to supply a declaration or tax clearance certificate may lead to a delay in processing the application and to an examination of the applicant's tax affairs by the Revenue Commissioners. Payment will not be refused. In relation to RSI the EU Commission has agreed that failure by the applicant to supply and RSI number will result in the application not being accepted.
The modified rules also apply to applicants for farm development grants who must however produce a tax clearance certificate in respect of contractors engaged by the applicant.
506 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her cattle headage and suckler cow premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1044/97]
The person named will be paid her 1996 cattle headage and suckler cow premium — 80 per cent advance — this week.
507 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle and sheep headage premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship and an inspection has already taken place. [1046/97]
511 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle and sheep headage premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1053/97]
I propose taking Questions Nos. 507 and 511 together.
The person named will be paid his 1996 cattle headage and sheep headage grants, and the advance of his 1996 suckler cow premium within the next two weeks. The balance of his 1996 suckler cow premium will be paid within the next four weeks. He was paid the first and second advances of his ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996, respectively. The final instalment will be issued when the rate is published by the EU.
508 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her cattle headage premia for 1995 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship and no reply was given to her letters to explain the delay. [1050/97]
The person named did not submit a 1995 area aid form and therefore under clause 19 of the terms and conditions of the cattle headage scheme is ineligible for payment of headage grants for that year. Her 1995 suckler cow premium will be paid in the next two weeks.
509 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her 1996 sheep headage premia in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1051/97]
The person named was paid her 1996 sheep headage grant on 5 December 1996. She was paid the first and second advances of her ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996 respectively. The final instalment will be issued when the rate is published by the EU.
510 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle headage premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1052/97]
The person named was paid his 1996 cattle headage grant on 6 January 1997. He was paid the advances of his special beef premium on 24 December 1996 and suckler cow premium on 24 December 1996 and the balances will be paid within the next four weeks.
512 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when the remaining copy ewe premium cheques will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that they were requested on 9 July 1996. [1054/97]
The person concerned was issued a payable order on 7 July 1995 which was cashed on 26 July 1995. An additional payable order was issued to him on 8 February 1996 which was cashed on 8 March 1996.
Copies of these two cashed cheques were received from the Office of the Paymaster General on 17 January 1997 and will issue to the person in question without delay.
513 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his suckler cow premium for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship and the money is urgently needed. [1055/97]
The person named will be paid his 1996 suckler cow premium — 80 per cent advance — this week.
514 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her cattle premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship and an inspection was carried out over six weeks ago. [1056/97]
The person named will be paid her 1996 cattle headage grant and the advance of her 1996 suckler cow premium within the next two weeks. It is expected that the balance of the suckler cow premium will issue within the next four weeks.
515 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her cattle and sheep headage premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1057/97]
The person named will be paid her 1996 cattle headage and sheep headage grants and the advance of her 1996 suckler cow premium within the next two weeks. The balance of her 1996 suckler cow premium will be paid within the next four weeks. She was paid the first and second advances of her 1996 ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996, respectively. She will be paid the final instalment when the rate is published by the EU.
516 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle and sheep headage premia for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1058/97]
The person named was paid his 1996 cattle headage grant on 16 January 1997 and his 1996 sheep headage grant will be paid within the next two weeks. He was paid the first and second instalments of his 1996 ewe premium on 5 July 1996 and 11 November 1996 respectively. He will be paid the final instalment when the rate is published by the EU.
517 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive her second instalment on the REP scheme in view of the fact that she is in financial hardship. [1059/97]
The application for second year payment for the person concerned has been approved and payment has been issued.
518 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid a top-up on his ewe hoggets for each of the years 1995 and 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [1060/97]
It was originally proposed that the special once-off top-up would apply to the 1995 sheep headage scheme. However, the European Commission could not agree to a retrospective top-up and agreed instead that the top-up could be paid in respect of sheep applied on in 1996. In regard to payment due to the person named he applied in 1996 on 14 lowland hoggets. The normal headage grant of £140 was paid on 11 November 1996 and the top-up of £28 (14 hoggets × £2) was paid on 13 November 1996.
519 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid her REP scheme payment in view of the fact that she urgently needs this funding. [1061/97]
Under REPS, applications are subject to a random 5 per cent prepayment check. This is a detailed assessment of all aspects of the plan and includes an on-farm inspection.
The applicant in this case has been selected for such a check, which will be carried out within the next few weeks. Assuming that everything is in order, payment will issue as soon as possible thereafter.
522 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his REP scheme payment in view of the fact that he is in financial hardship. [1065/97]
Payment in this case issued on 19 December 1996.
