Vol. 503 No. 6
124 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Sligo has not received 1997 and 1998 equine headage payments; if any outstanding area aid difficulties will be resolved; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10954/99]
Without a valid area aid application for the relevant year, headage payments cannot issue to a herdowner. Consequently, as a 1997 area aid application was not submitted by the person named, payment cannot issue in respect of his 1997 equine headage application.
The person named applied on 12 mares under the 1998 equine headage scheme. One of the mares – Passport Number 2318763 was not registered with the Irish horse register. My Department wrote to him on 22 October 1998 and on 2 December 1998 requesting that the mare be registered and that following registration he should send the passport to the district livestock office for checking. My Department also requested in this correspondence that he should submit the passport for the mare with the passport No. 96638. To date, no reply has been received. These passports must be provided before the application can be processed further.
125 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the amendment of the 1998 area aid application by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be included in his 1999 application. [10967/99]
The 1998 area aid application of the person named was processed based on the declared forage area. A request to add an additional parcel of land to the forage area of the person named was received on 28 May 1998. However, as the closing date for adding forage area to applications was 15 May 1998, the additional forage area could not be added to the area aid application of the person named. The onus rested with the above-named to ensure that all his land was included on his 1999 area aid application form.
126 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the application under the fodder scheme will be reviewed for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who is in a disadvantaged area and whose application has been refused. [10968/99]
The person named did not apply for the 1998 suckler cow or ewe premium schemes and did not hold a milk quota in 1998. He did not, therefore, qualify for the 1999 winter fodder scheme. He did, however, apply for grants under the 1999 special fodder hardship fund scheme and will be paid grants under this scheme within the next two weeks.
127 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a REP scheme payment. [10969/99]
Payment issued to the person concerned on 23 April 1999.
128 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all aspects of the ewe premium application for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford are in order following the explanation and further inspection carried out on the flock recently. [10970/99]
Investigations into this case following inspection of the flock on 16 April 1999 have still not been completed. As soon as these investigations have been completed, I will let the Deputy know of the outcome.
129 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment of 1998 suckler cow grant and the balance of a sheep headage grant. [10981/99]
The person named applied on 24 suckler cows under the 1998 small scale suckler cow premium scheme. His milk quota is recorded as 14,581 gallons.
Under paragraph 2 of the terms and conditions of the scheme applicants must have suckler cows surplus to the cows needed to produce their milk quotas in order to be considered for payment. The person named is deemed to require 16.25 cows, milk quota of 14,581 divided by the national average yield of 897 gallons, to fill his milk quota. As he declared a total of 34 cows in his herd he was deemed to be entitled to payment on 17.75 cows. Payment has already issued in respect of these cows. A subsequent check by the local office confirmed that the person named had made an error and had a total of 44 cows in his herd on the date of application instead of 34. Arrangements are being made to pay the balance on 6.25 suckler cows as soon as possible.
The person named made an application under the 1998 sheep headage scheme on 40 breeding ewes on 27 February 1998. The herd number under which the application was lodged was subsequently cancelled and an area aid application was lodged by the person named under the new herd number on 23 April 1998. Difficulties arose in reconciling the two herd numbers in question. The matter has recently been rectified and arrangements are being made to issue payment shortly.
130 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive the remaining 20 per cent of the 1998 beef premium scheme. [10982/99]
It is expected that balancing payments under the 1998 special beef premium scheme will commence within the next few weeks.
131 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment of a ten month beef premium which was applied for in early 1998. [10983/99]
Under EU regulations payment of special beef premium is subject to a stocking density limit of two livestock units per hectare of forage area, inclusive of animals submitted for ewe premium, suckler cow premium, special beef premium and units derived from any milk quota held by an applicant in the relevant year.
Special beef premium payments have not issued to the person named as the data initially available to my Department suggested that he did not meet the stocking density limit. However, it is now understood that he is no longer in milk production. A certificate to this effect is to be supplied by him to my Department following which processing of his beef premium application will be finalised.
