Dinny McGinley
Question:98 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a sheep headage payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [22767/99]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The person named applied for a total of 13.56 hectares on his 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of his application an area of 12.86 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 0.70 hectares or 5.44 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 in this case a penalty of 1.40 hectares has to be applied leaving the area determined for payment at 11.46 hectares. Any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Willie Penrose
Question:99 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason an application for a REP scheme payment by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath has not been dealt with in spite of repeated assurances; and if immediate payment will be made. [22768/99]
The person concerned applied for a fourth year payment under the rural environment protection scheme on 26 February 1999. It came to the attention of my Department that the applicant was farming lands which were not included in his agri-environmental plan. This is in breach of the terms of the scheme and will result in a penalty being applied to the fourth year payment.
The applicant was notified of the imposition of a penalty on 8 November 1999. The applicant is allowed ten days to appeal the penalty. If it is not appealed within this timeframe, the payment will be processed less the penalty amount.
Jim Higgins
Question:100 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason for the ongoing delay in the payment of extensification, balance of headage and balance of beef premium to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who forwarded all documentation to his Department and has verified proof of postage. [22769/99]
The person named submitted an area aid application in 1998, which included a parcel in respect of which a dual claim was determined. Both herdowners involved were written to in this regard. The area aid unit did not receive a reply from the person named. The other applicant did respond and was therefore given the benefit of the disputed parcel in 1998.
In 1998 the person named applied for a total of 19.19 hectares. The area determined after the deduction of the disputed parcel was 18.62 hectares. This represents a difference of 0.57 hectares or 3.06 per cent. 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 in this case a penalty of 1.14 hectares was applied leaving the area determined for payments at 17.48 hectares.
Again in 1999 the person named submitted an area aid application which included a parcel in respect of which a dual claim was determined. My Department has again contacted both her downers to clarify the matter and is awaiting a response. In the meantime 1999 payments issued to him based on a lower forage area of 17.48 hectares.
No balancing payments in respect of 1998 or 1999 can issue until this matter has been satisfactorily resolved.
Michael Creed
Question:101 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork who was inspected in August 1999 has not received a 1999 beef premium. [22770/99]
The special beef premium application of the person named was the subject of an on-farm inspection. All the animals listed were found at inspection and the application has been processed based on the inspection results. Payment will issue to the person named as soon as possible.