Michael Ring
Question:10 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when an appeal for payment under the 1999 cattle headage scheme will be completed for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [27414/99]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The herdowner lodged an appeal on 1 November 1999 concerning his 1999 cattle headage application. Appeals are dealt with in the order in which they are received and require individual examination. This appeal will be examined shortly and the herdowner will be notified of the outcome.
Michael Ring
Question:11 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle and sheep headage in view of the fact she has submitted all the necessary documents. [27415/99]
The person named applied for a total of 21.49 hectares on her 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of her application an area of 21.35 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 0.14 hectares or 0.65% 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%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied. Therefore in this case no penalty is applied and consequently payments due will issue based on the determined area of 21.35 hectares.
Payment of her entitlements under the 1999 cattle headage scheme, 1999 suckler cow premium scheme and 1999 sheep headage scheme will issue within the next seven days.
Michael Ring
Question:12 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his 1999 cattle headage and suckler cow premium in view of the fact that all the tenants of the commonage, including this herd owner, submitted a copy of the 1921 lease and signed affidavit verifying their entitlement to claim the commonage with their area aid application and other tenants have receive their money several weeks ago. [27416/99]
The person named applied for a total of 14.06 hectares on his 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of his application an area of 12.91 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 1.15 hectares or 8.9% 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%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied. Therefore, in this case a penalty of 2.30 hectares has to apply and consequently payments due will issue based on an area of 10.61 hectares.
Payment of his entitlements under the 1999 cattle headage scheme and the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme will issue within the next seven days.
Michael Ring
Question:13 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage and suckler cow premium in view of the fact that all tenants of the commonage, including this herd owner, submitted a copy of the 1921 lease and signed affidavit verifying their entitlement to claim the commonage with their area aid application and other tenants have received their money several weeks ago. [27417/99]
An affidavit and other supporting documentation submitted by the person named has been accepted as proving his entitlement to the commonage involved. His 1999 area aid application has now been processed and payment of his entitlements under the 1999 cattle headage scheme and the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme will issue to him within the next seven days.
Michael Ring
Question:14 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1998 extensification payment as two officials from his Department called on 29 September 1999 to physically walk the holding and confirmed that his file would be passed for payment. [27418/99]
The above named applicant was randomly selected for an on the ground inspection and his application was found to be in order. Any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Michael Ring
Question:15 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 headage and premia payments. [27419/99]
The person named included commonage in his 1999 area aid application, but did not provide proof of his entitlement to claim this commonage. The person named has been written to in this regard. No payments can issue until this matter is resolved.
Billy Timmins
Question:16 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a person (details supplied) will be paid 1998 extensification payment at the high rate. [27420/99]
The 1998 area aid application for the person named was randomly selected for inspection. The applicant declared a total of 53.73 hectares. The area determined at inspection was 51.73 hectares. This represents a difference of 2 hectares or 3.8%.
Under Article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92, no penalty is applied when the difference is less than 3%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied.
Therefore, in this case the area aid related payments of the person named must be based on a reduced forage area of 47.73 hectares.
The person named submitted 1998 applications as follows–
|
Scheme |
Livestock Units(LUs) |
|
Ewe Premium 130 @ 0.15 |
19.50 |
|
Suckler Cow Premium |
26.00 |
|
Special Beef Premium 5 @ 0.6 |
3.00 |
|
Milk Quota |
Nil |
|
Total Livestock Units |
48.50 |
The stocking density is calculated by dividing the total lu's by the hectares (48.50/47.73) giving a stocking density of 1.01 Lu's per hectare. In accordance with EU regulations the high rate of payment under the extensification premium scheme is only payable where the stocking density on the holding is less than 1.00 livestock units per hectare. As the stocking density of the person named is not less than 1.00 Lu's per hectare he has no entitlement to the high rate of extensification. He has however been paid the low rate of extensification amounting to £134.68 and £776.36 on special beef animals and suckler cows respectively.
Matt Brennan
Question:17 Mr. M. Brennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when area aid digitising will be completed for a person (details supplied) to allow headage payments issue to him prior to Christmas 1999. [27423/99]
The entering of the maps received from the person named on the Department's electronic database is currently in progress. However, an overlap with a parcel of land claimed by another applicant has been identified . Both parties are being contacted in this regard. No payments can issue until all outstanding problems with this application have been resolved.
The herd and land of the person named were inspected in relation to his 1999 cattle headage scheme, 1999 suckler cow premium scheme, 1999 special beef premium scheme and the 1999 area aid applications on 9 August 1999 and it was discovered that the holding of the person named was managed jointly with the holding of another person.
Where two or more applicants under the livestock schemes are associated my Department must be satisfied, in accordance with EU regulations, that their farming enterprises are operated as separate individual economic units before individual grants can be paid. Where there is evidence that this is not the case they are treated as a joint application and their herds as one joint herd for the purposes of payment of grants.
My Department wrote to the person named on 25 August 1999 advising him 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 but no reply was received from him.
The person named was also advised by letters of 25 August and 29 October 1999 that his herd and the herd associated with his will be amalgamated under the 1999 special beef premium scheme.
In the case of special beef premium scheme a number of animals were found to be non-compliant with tagging regulations. The person named was informed that the amalgamated herd was deemed ineligible to qualify for special beef premium on the 17 animals on 30 June 1999 applications and consequently no payment will issue.
The person named was given an opportunity to appeal this decision but no reply has been received to date.