Vol. 510 No. 6
156 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if outstanding difficulties will be resolved on the application of a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that he has lodged all documentation; if a 1999 headage payment will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23265/99]
In accordance with EU regulations, my Department must be satisfied that, where two or more applicants under the livestock schemes are associated, their farming enterprises are operated as separate individual economic units before individual grants can be paid.
An inspection was carried out on the herd and land of the person named on 20 September 1999 in relation to his applications under the 1999 cattle headage scheme and the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme and it was found that his holding and the holding of another person were managed jointly. He was advised by my Department by letter of 11 October 1999 that his herd and the herd associated with his will be amalgamated under the 1999 cattle headage scheme and the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme for grant purposes and that a joint payment under each of the schemes will issue under the herd number of the person named. He was given the opportunity to appeal this decision and to date no reply has been received. Joint payments will now issue under these schemes within the next seven days.
157 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a 1999 headage payment will be released for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23266/99]
A herdowner must submit a valid area aid application for the relevant year in order to be considered for payment of headage grants. No area aid application was received from the person named for 1999, and consequently no cattle headage payments can be made.
158 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a 1999 headage payment will be released for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23267/99]
The person named included two new parcels on her 1999 area aid application. After they were entered on the Department's electronic database, they were found to contain less than the area she had claimed. The person named was contacted about this in September and has not as yet replied. No payments can issue until the matter has been resolved.
The person named applied on 25 animals under the 1999 cattle headage scheme but gave incorrect details concerning one of the animal tag numbers, TLGF0055E. My Department contacted the person named requesting additional information on this animal and advised that this tag number was also applied on by another herdowner under the same scheme. The reply from the person named confirmed the details of the correct animal tag number and also informed my Department that the cattle identity card accompanying the animal when purchased by her had been altered prior to receipt. Inquiries about this animal and its cattle identity card are ongoing and the person named will be informed of the result of the inquiries as soon as they are completed.
159 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a full 1998 cattle headage payment will be immediately released to a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that all documentation has been lodged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23268/99]
The 1998 area aid application for the person named has been fully processed, and there are no outstanding errors.
160 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will be paid area aid, headage, suckler and cow grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23285/99]
An area aid application was received from the person concerned on which he declared a share of a commonage. However documentary evidence confirming the entitlement to the share was not supplied with the application. My Department wrote to the person concerned requesting same and a reply has been received. Unfortunately the documentation supplied was not sufficient and the area aid unit has now been in contact with the solicitor representing the person concerned with a view to resolving the matter. Headage and premia payments cannot be made to the person concerned until the area aid application has been fully processed.
