Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 3 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 1

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Ivan Yates

Question:

376 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will have his eligibility for suckler cow, beef and ewe premium payments approved for 2000; and if the stocking density problem for 1999 will be resolved. [19450/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

A stocking density limit of two reckonable livestock units per hectare of the forage area as established from the producer's area aid application applies to payment under the ewe premium, suckler cow premium and special beef premium schemes.

The person named declared a forage area of 17.76 hectares on his 1999 area aid application Therefore his stocking density limit is 35.52 livestock units (17.76 x 2). The number of livestock units on which premium was applied on under the 1999 premium schemes is as follows.

Scheme	Numberapplied on	Livestock Unitequivalent
Ewe Premium	115	17.25 (115 @ 0.15)
Special BeefPremium	28	20.8 (18 @ 0.6 + 10 @ 1.0)
Suckler Cow	7	7.0 (7 x 1.0)45.05

As the total number of livestock units applied on exceeded the stocking density limit of 35.52 livestock units the person named was paid the equivalent of 17.25 livestock units under the 1999 ewe premium scheme – 115 ewes @ 0.15 – and 18.27 livestock units under the special beef premium scheme – 18 animals @ 0.6 and 7.47 animals @ 1.0 – the maximum number of Livestock Units payable.

A total of 2.53 animals submitted for premium under the special beef premium scheme and seven cows submitted for premium under the suckler cow premium scheme were not eligible for payment as the stocking density limit had been exceeded.

The person named has declared a forage area of 17.92 hectares on his 2000 area aid application. Therefore his stocking density limit for the 2000 suckler cow, ewe premium and special beef premium schemes is 35.84 livestock units. The number of livestock units on which premium has been applied on under the 2000 premium schemes to date is as follows;

Scheme	Numberapplied on	Livestock Unitequivalent
Ewe Premium	115	17.25 (115 @ 0.15)
Special BeefPremium	30	23.2 (17 @ 0.6 + 13 @ 1.0)
Suckler Cow	8	8.0 (8 x 1.0)48.45

As the livestock unit value of the animals applied on exceeds the stocking density limit the person named will be paid premium under the 2000 premium schemes up to a limit of 35.84 livestock units subject to the normal prepayment checks.