Vol. 489 No. 3
111 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will waive the £228.96 back payment for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo in view of the fact that he is under severe financial pressure and is currently in hospital due to his medical condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7861/98]
The payment in question was a top-up payment under the first round of the BSE compensation package. In order to compensate producers at the earliest possible opportunity the regulation governing these payments required that the initial top-up should be based on the number of eligible animals under the 1995 schemes and also required that there should be adjustments upwards and downwards later on to ultimately reflect the number of eligible animals under the 1996 schemes.
The person in question had 12 eligible animals under the 1995 special beef premium scheme but had no eligible animals under the 1996 special beef scheme which in effect meant that he had no entitlement to BSE compensation as the crisis occurred in 1996. As a consequence the money must be recovered. The moneys so recovered will become the pool of money to compensate those farmers who had more eligible animals in 1996 than in 1995.
Regrettably I have no discretion to waive the requirement to pay back the amount outstanding as the precise arrangements governing the BSE compensation payments are detailed in European Council Regulation 1357/96 and are not therefore negotiable at this point.
112 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in payment of the 1997 suckler cow grant to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who has returned his area aid maps by registered post to the Department as requested. [7863/98]
An advance payment of £1,093.79 issued to the person concerned on 5 December 1997 in respect of 1997 suckler cow premium. However before the balance of the premia payments could issue the forage area declared by the person concerned had to be validated by the land parcel identification system (LPIS).
This validation has now been completed and the balancing payments should issue within the next two weeks.
113 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status regarding the payment of farm retirement pension to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [7884/98]
An application by this person is currently being processed.
114 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status regarding the farm retirement scheme for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [7885/98]
My Department has no record of an application in this case.
115 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in the payment of the ten month beef premium for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [7886/98]
According to the area aid application submitted by the person named, he is in an official milk recording scheme. Before the beef premium payment can issue to the person named he must submit the certified average milk yields for the years 1996 or 1997 for use in the calculation of stocking density levels.
116 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when an installation aid grant will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [7887/98]
This application cannot be finalised until the applicant furnishes the additional documentation requested of him by my Department in January 1998.
