Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 8

Written Answers. - BSE Compensation Payments.

Breeda Moynihan-Cronin

Question:

45 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the steps, if any, the Department has put in place for the immediate payment of BSE compensation to farmers who have had these payments delayed due to computer processing errors in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5147/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

There are no BSE payments delayed due to computer processing errors in my Department. The vast bulk of BSE payments outstanding at this stage are top-up payments to those farmers who had more animals qualifying for the suckler cow and special beef premium in 1996 than they had in 1995. The position is that the EU regulations governing payment of BSE top-ups, which were paid in October 1996, provided for top-up payments in respect of animals qualifying for the 1995 suckler cow premium and special beef premium. The EU require that the top-up payments should be based on the 1995 schemes in order that the payments could be made as early as possible and before the EU financial year deadline of 15 October 1996. The regulations also provided for adjustments, upwards and downwards, later on to take account of the number of animals qualifying for the suckler cow and special beef premium in 1996. Money was to be recouped from those farmers who were overpaid compensation on the grounds that they had fewer animals qualifying for the premium in 1996 than they had in 1995. Money so recouped was to form a pool of money from which further top-up payments are to be made to those farmers who had more animals qualifying for the premium in 1996 than they had in 1995.

My Department has been in the process of recovering overpayments from those farmers in the former category and this money is to be used to make the outstanding payments to farmers in the latter category. Obviously it is important that as much money as possible can be recovered before striking a rate for payment of additional top-ups. It is expected that payments of the outstanding amounts due will be made in the period May-June 1998.

Additionally, a small number of beef producers are due BSE compensation payments arising from the package of measures worth some £30.54 million to Ireland's beef farmers and which was to be paid by the EU deadline of 15 October 1997. By that deadline a small number of producers had failed to establish eligibility and these cases are being finalised.