Vol. 508 No. 1
280 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a copy of 1994 and 1995 area aid applications will be released immediately to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17530/99]
Arrangements have been made to have copies of the documents issued to the herd owner as soon as possible.
281 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all penalties on 1999 headage payments will be waived for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo in view of the fact he had verbally notified an officer of his Department of his new grazing land and was unaware of the difficulties which would arise; if all full payments will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17531/99]
On his 1999 area aid application, the above-named claimed a total area of 15.68 hectares. However, the sum of the individual land parcels claimed amounted to 15.42 hectares. This has been treated as an obvious error and accordingly, his total claim has been adjusted downwards to 15.42 hectares. A penalty was not imposed in these circumstances. However, the above-named submitted his area aid application after the 23 April 1999 closing date. The application was received on the 11 May 1999. Under EU regulations, penalties apply to late applications. The penalty applicable in this case is 11 per cent reduction on any aid payable.
282 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all penalties on area aid will be waived for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo in view of the fact that she did not receive any application from his Department and was unaware of the deadline dates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17532/99]
The closing date for the receipt of applications was 23 April 1999. Late applications incurring daily penalties were accepted up to 18 May 1999. All applicants in 1998 were sent pre-printed forms for 1999. It is however a matter for the applicants themselves to ensure that their area aid applications are submitted in time to meet the closing date. As the application form for the above named was not received until 16 June 1999 a 100 per cent penalty must be applied in accordance with the EU regulations.
283 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if all outstanding area aid difficulties will be resolved for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; if a 1998 premium for 18 ewes will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17533/99]
There are no outstanding area aid difficulties to be resolved in this case.
Payment under the 1998 ewe premium scheme to the person named was initially refused due to a shortfall, at inspection, in the number of sheep on which he applied for premium. However, on appeal this decision was overturned and he was deemed eligible for payment on the 18 ewes for which he held quota. This payment will be made shortly.
284 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the back payment will be made to the farm retirement scheme recipients who are paid less in their pension due to the euro rate conversion; when this will be rectified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17534/99]
The Council of Ministers has agreed that compensation will be paid over the next three years to participants in the schemes affected by reductions arising from the introduction of the euro.
Full compensation, with 100 per cent funding by the EU, will be payable for the reduction in 1999 pensions to participants who joined the scheme prior to 1998. Approval of the EU Commission is necessary before compensation will be paid. It is hoped that the Commission will give the necessary approval by the end of November, and once such a decision is received payment will issue as soon as possible. Two further tranches of compensation at reduced levels will be paid.
285 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be granted an advanced payment on a 1999 cattle headage payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17535/99]
The person named was paid his full entitlement of £1,053 under the 1999 cattle headage scheme on 28 September 1999.
286 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 2 March 1999, his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) has not received a 1998 headage payment; if payment will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17536/99]
As stated in my most recent reply of 18 May 1999 to a parliamentary question in this matter, the person named has not supplied the information necessary to process his 1998 area aid application. The area aid unit issued maps to the herdowner to enable him to outline the boundaries of the land claimed by him. These maps have not yet been returned to the area aid unit. It is not possible therefore to process his application to completion.
287 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties a person (details supplied) in County Sligo is encountering on her application for a dairy hygiene grant; if all outstanding difficulties will be resolved and payment immediately granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17537/99]
It is a strict condition of the dairy hygiene scheme that the prior written approval of my Department must be obtained before the commencement of development work. As the works on which grant aid was sought under the application in this case had commenced at the time of initial inspection, the applicant is ineligible for grant aid.
288 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Sligo was not notified that he would not receive a 1998 area aid extensification payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17538/99]
No application is required for extensification premium but if the stocking density on the holding is less than 1.4 livestock units (Lus) per hectare (Ha) extensification premium is automatically paid on animals paid under the suckler cow and special beef premium applications.
The person named applied for, and was paid 1998 special beef premium on one animal underthe ten month scheme, that is, 0.6LU, and 19 animals under the 22 month scheme. Some 18 of these were over two years and one was under two years, that is, 18.6 Lus. He also applied for and was paid on 40 ewes under the 1998 ewe premium scheme each equivalent to 15LU, that is, 6 Lus. No application was received for 1998 suckler cow premium. He also declared an area of 17.56 hectares on his 1998 area aid application. Extensification premium is calculated by dividing the total livestock units, that is, 25.2, by the hectares declared on the area aid application – 17.56. This gives a stocking density of 1.43Lus/Ha.
289 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the full special beef premium balance payments and the extensification premium relating to the same period will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; if so, when payment will issue; and the amount in this regard. [17613/99]
Payments in respect of the special beef premium balance and the extensification premium issued to the person named on 15 September 1999 and 24 September 1999 respectively.
290 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if an agricultural installation aid application will be approved for a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and, if so, when approval will issue. [17614/99]
Having regard to the volume of work on hands there has been an unavoidable delay in processing this application. If the application is supported by full documentation, as required under the scheme, it will be processed within three months.
291 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be paid on the number of ewes under his 1999 ewe premium application. [17615/99]
The herdowner lodged an appeal on 13 September 1999 concerning his 1999 ewe premium application. Appeals are dealt with in the order in which they are received and require individual examination. This appeal will be examined in due course and the herdowner will be informed of the outcome.
