Vol. 523 No. 4
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Dáil Éireann debate - Tuesday, 10 Oct 2000
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Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
90 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 and 2000 cattle and sheep headage and premia payments in view of the fact he has called to the local office on seven occasions and no maps were issued to date to sort out any problem that may have arisen and in further view of the fact the applicant is seriously ill and is in severe financial difficulty. [21320/00]
In regard to the 1999 scheme payments the area aid unit issued a map to the person named some time ago in order to enable him to identify the location of a parcel of land included in his 1999 area aid application. The person named has thus far failed to return the map. The Teagasc adviser of the person named has recently been in contact with the area aid unit, and has been sent an additional map in order to enable him to identify the location of the problem parcel of land on behalf of the person named. An additional over-claim has also been identified on one of the other land parcels claimed by the person named in 1999. Maps have also issued to his Teagasc adviser in this regard and he has been informed of the extent of this over-claim.
No further 1999 payments can issue until all these matters have been satisfactorily resolved.
In regard to the 2000 area aid application for the person named, this has now been fully processed with no outstanding errors. The area for payment purposes has been determined at 29.32 hectares and payment under the 2000 sheep headage scheme will be made as soon as possible.
The person named applied under the 2000 cattle headage and suckler cow premium schemes on 20 April 2000. Following an examination of his applications, it was discovered that a cow, tag number GSA935849, applied on under both schemes, was disposed of on 27 May 2000. Under the terms and conditions of the 2000 cattle headage scheme, animals must be retained for two calendar months starting on the day after an application is received by my Department, and under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme animals must be retained for six calendar months, again starting on the day after an application is received. Under the terms and conditions of both schemes, animals disposed of may be replaced, within 20 days of disposal. However, in this case, the Department was not notified of the disposal of cow, tag number GSA935849, nor was it replaced. The person named was written to on 9 October 2000 and advised that no grants were due on this animal under the 2000 cattle headage scheme or the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme, and that the grants payable on the remaining animals would be subject to reduced payments in accordance with the terms and conditions governing the schemes. He has an opportunity to have this decision reviewed by writing to my Department setting out any facts which he wishes to put forward to support his case. Any such review will be considered as a matter of urgency.
