John Ellis
Question:209 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his Department will make second year REP scheme payment to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim. [18853/97]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
An application from the person named for a second year payment under the REP scheme was recently examined in the relevant local office of my Department. Some problems were identified in relation to the area claimed and in relation to a portion of land being farmed but not included in the organic licence submitted with the application. The payment cannot be further processed until these problems have been satisfactorily addressed.
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin
Question:210 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if it is proposed to make reference to cross compliance in the application form for ewe premium for 1998. [18855/97]
The question of cross-compliance between the ewe premium-sheep headage schemes and agri-environmental schemes for certain sheep producers is being considered in the context of negotiations at EU level on an enhanced REPS package for the areas concerned. Those negotiations are ongoing and a final decision has not been taken on the question of cross-compliance for 1998.
Seymour Crawford
Question:213 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason his Department has failed to deliver headage payments by 31 October 1997 in line with the payments schedule agreed in the Charter of Farmers' Rights; the action, if any, his Department will take to ensure that the outstanding payments are made to farmers without further delay; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that 67 per cent of farmers were not paid by 3 November 1997. [18860/97]
The following is the background to the headage payments arrangements:
(a) By 31 October 1996 less than 45 per cent of all headage payments had been made despite the commitments in the Charter of Farmers' Rights.
(b) 1997 is the first year in which the land parcel identification system required by the EU has to be fully operational in Ireland, an obligation which did not have to be complied with in making payments in the latter part of 1996.
(c) Notwithstanding this additional obligation in 1997, my Department has paid some £265 million so far in respect of the 1997 headage and premium schemes to farmers as compared to £235 million paid by the same date in respect of the corresponding 1996 schemes.
(d) As of today, 50 per cent of all 1997 cattle headage and beef cow applicants and 51 per cent of all sheep headage applicants have been paid.
(e) I am providing extra resources to speed up the digitising and clearing for payment of area aid applications so as to allow the remaining headage payments to be speeded up over the next few weeks.
I am as concerned as the Deputy to see all headage payments made to eligible applicants as soon as possible and he can be assured that I am making every effort to achieve this.
Paul Bradford
Question:214 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be paid his 1996 extensification premium. [18895/97]
A producer must have a stocking density of less than 1.4 LUs/Hectare in order to qualify for 1996 extensification premium. The stocking density for the holding of the person named is 1.89 LUs/Hectare and accordingly he does not qualify for 1996 extensification premium.
Michael Ring
Question:215 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when persons (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive their 1997 sheep headage payment in view of the fact that the delay is causing financial hardship. [18898/97]
The correct herd number in this case is P213110X.
The area aid application of the persons named has not yet been cleared so as to allow payment of headage to them. Every effort is being made to clear all area aid applications, other than a small minority of very intractable cases, so that payment can be made in this and other similar cases during the next few weeks.
If the area aid application of the persons named is found to be in order they should be paid sheep headage within this period.