Vol. 536 No. 6
157 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive a slaughter premium payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15253/01]
As I indicated in reply to Parliamentary Question No. 78, on Thursday, 5 April 2001, payment of the premium cannot be made because the person named has not furnished the necessary documentary evidence requested from him to establish that the animals were in his herd for the minimum period of two months prior to the date of slaughter.
158 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a REP scheme payment under the new REP scheme. [15266/01]
The documentation required to process the application from the person named was received on 5 April 2001. The application is being processed at present in accordance with the protocol on direct payments to farmers, which allows 14 weeks for a valid application to be processed to the stage of scheduling for payment if it is selected for pre-payment inspection, and 12 weeks if it is not selected. A further month is then allowed for payment to be made.
159 Mr. G. Reynolds asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when payment of a beef premium and a slaughter premium will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim. [15339/01]
A slaughter premium payment of £323.15 issued to the person named on 16 May, 2001. A balancing payment will issue next month as soon as the national quota position is known. The person named submitted two applications for special beef premium on a total of sixteen animals in 2000.
At an on-farm inspection on 3 October 2000, four animals on application for premium were not entered on the bovine herd register and seven other male animals were not tagged. The penalty for greater than 20% non-compliance with identification and registration requirements as outlined in the terms and conditions of the scheme is non-payment of premium on animals applied on in the 12 months prior to inspection – a total of 17 premia including one animal applied on in November 1999. The person named appealed the decision not to pay his premium, to the headage and premia appeals unit but his appeal has not been successful.
