Michael Ring
Question:117 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his 1999 sheep and cattle headage payments. [12619/00]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The person named was one of a number of herdowners selected to be audited in respect of his area aid application. This audit has now been completed and the area aid application has been fully processed.
The person named claimed a total of 22.36 hectares on his 1999 area aid application. Following processing of his application an area of 20.66 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 1.70 hectares or 8.22% 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. In this case, therefore, a penalty of 3.40 hectares has to apply, leaving the area for payment purposes at 17.26 hectares.
The entitlements of the person named under the 1999 sheep headage scheme and the 1999 cattle headage scheme were calculated on the basis of his original declaration of 22.36 hectares and the person named was paid £520 under the 1999 sheep headage scheme and £950.28 under the 1999 cattle headage scheme on 18 October 1999. A recalculation of his entitlements under these schemes, based on the revised area of 17.26 hectares, shows that he has been overpaid by the amount of £230.86. This is in accordance with the terms and conditions governing the headage schemes which provide that an applicant qualify ing for disadvantaged areas beef cow and sheep headage grants may not receive more than £89.62 per hectare of the total forage area and not more than £55.99 per forage hectare in respect of other headage grants subject to an overall stocking rate of 1.4 livestock units per forage hectare. The amount of £230.86 will be recouped from his next payment entitlements under the headage-premia schemes.
Jim Higgins
Question:118 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason for the delay in payment of a 1999 special beef premium to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [12620/00]
The person named applied for special beef premium in respect of a total of 66 animals in 1999. The first application received by my Department on 18 January 1999 was in respect of 65 animals. Premium had previously been paid in respect of one animal on this application. At an on-farm inspection it was found that a further animal was not in the applicant's ownership at the time of application. This resulted in the animal in question also being rejected from the application with a consequent reduced payment on the remaining eligible animals. When the inspection results were processed further errors were discovered which have now been resolved and payment will issue within the next ten days.
A second application in respect of one animal has been fully paid. The final balancing payment issued on 30 April 2000.