Vol. 515 No. 4
79 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if farmers with multiple herd numbers have had to repay moneys to the beef unit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6339/00]
Taking account of the way overpayment records are held it would not be possible to systematically extract statistics on cases where farmers with multiple herd numbers have had to repay moneys to my Department. To provide the precise information required by the Deputy, it would be necessary to manually examine all debts where money had been recovered to establish, initially, which recoveries related to payment issued under schemes administered by the beef unit and, then, to establish the reason the overpayment arose. However if information was required on specific cases such information would be readily provided.
80 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a grant under the control of farmyard pollution scheme has been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6340/00]
The person concerned was paid a grant of £1,979 on 4 December 1996 under the control of farm pollution scheme, 1994-99. The person is also an applicant under the dairy hygiene scheme, 1994-99. The application is being processed and a key document is awaited from the applicant, card c, to indicate that the investment works under this scheme have been completed. When this document is received at my Department's local office at Tuam, an inspection will be carried out to ensure that the works have been completed in accordance with the criteria and specifications of the scheme. If everything is found to be in order payment will issue in due course.
81 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will make a statement on the introduction of a slaughter premium for female animals, heifers and cows; the nature and conditions of this slaughter premium; the reason it has not been possible to pay out the set premium at the end of each month; the arrangements, if any, he will make for monthly payments in future; the number and amount paid up to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6347/00]
The scheme referred to is the new slaughter premium 2000 scheme. Under this scheme a slaughter premium is payable, not only on heifers and cows but also on bulls and steers aged eight months and older, slaughtered in local abattoirs or licensed meat export premises within the EU or exported live to third countries in the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000.
The premium is payable to producers of bovine animals who are registered herdowners and who held the animals slaughtered or exported live to a third country for a minimum of two months and where those animals were slaughtered or exported live to a third country within a month of leaving the producer's herd.
The procedure is that application forms are not required for animals slaughtered within the Republic of Ireland or exported live to third countries as information captured on the Department's database, the Cattle Movement Monitoring System, will assist in determining the eligibility of these animals for premium. Payment will issue automatically where these animals are deemed to have met all the requirements of the slaughter premium scheme.
