Vol. 512 No. 3
277 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands the agreement reached with the EU Commission for the cull ewe compensation scheme; and the criteria used for the different rates of payment. [26131/99]
I advised the Deputy in my reply to Question No. 140 and 141 of 18 Samhain 1999 that my Department's compensation scheme was being considered by the EU Commission, and that remains the position. The scheme as submitted to the Commission covers compensation for farmers and other land-owners in SACs, SPAs and commonages, and sets out the principles and procedures to be followed in providing for compensation, rather than specifying levels of compensation. My officials are clarifying aspects of the scheme for Commission officials in response to their queries.
In the case of compensation for losses arising from the 30% reduction of sheep numbers on commonages, the rates of payment have been set following consultations between my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and Teagasc. The standard payment is £38 per head of stock reduced, and incorporates the value of both ewe premium and headage payments. This figure will be reduced by £25 per head of stock to which a ewe premium payment would not have applied, and by £11 per head of stock to which a headage payment would not have applied.
Because farmers have already experienced losses of income this year and because any further delay in payment would cause additional hardship, I have authorised these particular payments now and every effort is being made to ensure that they issue before Christmas.
