Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 1

Written Answers - Grant Payments.

John Perry

Question:

194 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding a suckler cow grant for 2000 for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11347/01]

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

The person named applied for premium on two suckler cows under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme.

Under the EU regulation governing the suckler cow premium scheme, eligibility is determined by the number of quota rights held by an applicant for the year in question. As the person named does not hold any suckler cow quota rights he is not entitled to any payments under this scheme.

John Perry

Question:

195 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding a suckler cow grant for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11348/01]

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

The person named applied on 35 animals under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme. A cross check with the cattle movement monitoring system – CMMS – in October 2000 showed that five of the animals applied on were disposed of during the retention period for the scheme. Clause 22 of the terms and conditions governing the scheme requires an applicant to notify my Department of replacement details within ten days of the event. The person named failed to notify replacements.

By letter of 23 October 2000, he was advised that the five animals were rejected from his application and that a reduction penalty would apply to the payment on his remaining eligible animals. He was given the opportunity to have this decision reviewed and a letter was received by my Department from the person named on 5 December 2000 in which he provided details of replacement animals. In order to verify the eligibility of replacements an inspection was carried out on his herd on 30 January 2001 when it was found that a total of 16 animals applied on had been disposed of during the retention period for the scheme. In addition, it was found that the person named did not replace these animals with other eligible animals.

A copy of the inspection report, setting out the inspection findings, was given to the person named at the end of the inspection and my Department has also recently written to him advising that as the number of rejected animals is greater than 20% of the eligible animals no premium will be payable on foot of his application in accordance with clause 30 of the terms and conditions of the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme. He has been given the opportunity to have this decision reviewed by writing to my Department, within 21 days, with any new information which may be of benefit to his case.

John Perry

Question:

196 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding headage payments for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11349/01]

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

The person named included a commonage parcel in his 1999 and 2000 area aid applications but did not provide sufficient proof of his entitlement to claim this commonage parcel. The herdowner has been informed of this and his application cannot be processed further until full proof is provided.