Vol. 481 No. 1
102 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be paid the BSE top-up payments for suckler cow and special beef premia; the amount of money due to him; and when payment will issue. [15302/97]
The regulations governing payment of the 1996 BSE compensation package, which was paid out in October 1996, provided for payment of top-ups in respect of animals which qualified for payment under the 1995 EU suckler cow premium scheme and 1995 EU special beef premium scheme. The regulations also provided for adjustments, upwards and downwards, later on to take account of the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium scheme and the 1996 EU special beef premium scheme. In effect the regulations require that when all balancing payments under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium schemes and 1996 EU special beef premium schemes are made a comparison is to be carried out between the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1995 schemes and the number qualifying under the 1996 schemes. Money is to be recouped from those farmers who had fewer animals qualifying under the 1996 schemes. This money was to be recouped either from 1996 extensification entitlements of the farmers concerned or alternatively from entitlements under the 1997 schemes.
The money so recouped is then to be used to make payments to those farmers who had more eligible animals under the 1996 schemes. The person named had 30 additional eligible cows in 1996 and 20 additional eligible male animals and will therefore be entitled to further payments under these categories. It is intended that these adjustments will be made towards the end of this year.
To date, the person named was paid BSE suckler cow top-up on 25 cows amounting to £560.00 (25 x £22.40) and BSE special beef premium top-up on 10 male animals amounting to £190.80 (10 x £19.08) last October, based on the 1995 suckler cow and special beef premium schemes.
In addition, under the 1997 element of BSE compensation he was paid £1,127.85 (55 x £20.47) top-up on 55 cows on 23 May 1997 and £300.00 (30 x £10) on 30 male animals on 28 May 1997.
