Michael Ring
Question:263 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the individual headage and premia payments received by a person (details supplied) in County Mayo for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999. [21626/99]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The following table sets out the amounts paid to the person named under the 1997, 1998 and 1999 headage and premia schemes.
|
Scheme |
1997 |
Date paid |
1998 |
Date paid |
1999 |
|
ExtensificationPremium |
£129.39 |
18/06/98 |
£172.52 |
8/06/99 |
|
|
Sheep Headage |
£2,000.00 |
21/01/98 |
£2,000.00 |
8/12/98 |
£2,000.00 |
|
Top-up |
£247.00 |
21/01/98 |
£270.00 |
11/12/98 |
|
|
Ewe Premium1st instalment |
£2,968.61 |
8/07/97 |
£3,536.70 |
19/06/98 |
£2,393.03 |
|
2nd instalment |
£1,159.58 |
13/11/97 |
£1,747.27 |
22/10/98 |
£1,225.23 |
|
3rd instalment |
£1,750.54 |
18/02/98 |
£2,241.95 |
26/02/99 |
|
|
Cattle Headage |
£336.00 |
22/01/98 |
£336.00 |
9/12/98 |
£336.00 |
|
Suckler Cow PremiumAdvance |
£252.41 |
26/01/98 |
£448.73 |
3/12/98 |
£319.53 |
|
Balance |
£168.28 |
19/02/98 |
£112.19 |
3/02/99 |
|
|
Winter Fodder |
£300.00£150.00 |
18/12/9829/03/99 |
|||
|
Totals |
£9,011.81 |
£11,315.36 |
£6,273.79 |
Jim Higgins
Question:264 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when payment of area aid in respect of 1998 and 1999 will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [21630/99]
There was a problem on the area aid application of the person named in 1998 because two parcels claimed by this person were also being claimed by another herdowner. Maps issued to both herdowners and the person named confirmed that he was not entitled to claim the parcel concerned. The result was that an eligible area of 40.01 hectares was found, and not the 45.25 hectares that the applicant had claimed. This represents a difference of 5.24 hectares or 13.10 per cent between the area claimed and that determined.
Under Article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92, no penalty is applied when the difference is less than 3 per cent, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3 per cent and 20 per cent and when the difference is over 20 per cent, a 100 per cent penalty must be applied. Therefore, payments were calculated on an area of 29.53 hectares.
The applicant in question submitted 45.14 hectares on his 1999 area aid application. Following processing of his application only 41.14 hectares were determined. This represents a difference of 4.00 hectares or 9.72 per cent between the area claimed and that found on inspection. In this case, therefore, the area determined is 33.14 hectares.
The person named was paid £2,856 under the 1998 cattle headage scheme on 10 December 1998. He received an advance of £3,702.07 under the 1998 suckler cow scheme on 3 December 1998, and the balance of £925.52 on 3 February 1999. Payment of £950.23 under the 1998 extensification scheme was made to him on 8 June 1999. Because of the overclaim of 5.24 hectares or 13.10 per cent between the area claimed on his 1998 area aid application, and that found at inspection, his area was reduced by twice the difference found, and his forage area for the purposes of calculating his livestock payments is 29.53 hectares. His 1998 cattle headage grant of £2,856 was based on a forage area of 44.01 hectares. In accordance with clause 27 of the terms and conditions governing the 1998 cattle headage scheme, an applicant qualifying for headage grants may not receive in respect of such grants more than £89.62 per forage hectare. As the person named now has 29.53 hectares eligible forage area, the most he can be paid is £2,646.47 under 1998 cattle headage grants. Consequently he was overpaid £209.52, and my Department will be writing to him shortly in this regard.
The person named applied on 34 cows under the 1999 cattle headage and suckler cow premium schemes. At an inspection carried out on 30 July 1999, one of the animals was found to have lost its eartags, another animal was absent, and four of the animals applied on as cows were found to be maiden heifers. As maiden heifers are not eligible under the suckler cow premium scheme, and are not eligible for high rate of grant under the cattle headage scheme, he was written to on 22 October 1999 advising him that he would not be receiving payment under the 1999 cattle headage or the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme. He has been given the opportunity to appeal this decision by writing to my Department setting out any facts which he wishes to put forward to support his case. Any such appeal will be considered as a matter of urgency.
John McGuinness
Question:265 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when his Department will pay 1999 cattle headage and suckler cow premiums to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [21642/99]
The applications of the person named under the 1999 cattle headage and suckler cow premium schemes are being examined at present, and if the applications are found to be in order, payments will be made within the next two weeks.
Michael Ring
Question:266 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive cattle and sheep headage, suckler cow premium, and 11 month and 22 month special beef premia. [21651/99]
Payment of the 1999 cattle headage grant was made to the person named on 30 September 1999. Grants under the sheep headage scheme are based, inter alia, on the forage area and classification of grazings available in the disadvantaged area as indicated on an applicant's 1999 area aid form. In this case the person named applied on 68 mountain ewes and according to area aid records the forage area available is classified as lowland grazings only. Therefore, the person named is not eligible for any payment under the scheme. Payment of the first and second advance of the 1999 ewe premium scheme was made to the person named on 11 June 1999 and 20 October 1999 respectively. The person named was not an applicant under the 1999 suckler cow scheme.