Vol. 538 No. 4
77 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 1 May 2001, he will indicate the progress made on the sheep headage claim of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18257/01]
As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 196 of 1 May 2001, 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 was informed of this on 30 April 2001 but no reply has been received from him since then. Consequently, his application cannot be processed further until the requisite proof is provided.
78 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a second year REP scheme payment. [18258/01]
My Department is waiting for the person named to submit an application and an agri-environmental plan under the new REP scheme which was introduced in November 2000. He applied to join REPS in November 1999. At that time, the European Commission had laid down transitional rules to cover the period leading to the introduction of the new scheme under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999. In accordance with these rules, his application was subject to an undertaking that he would submit an application and agri-environmental plan for the new scheme at the earliest possible opportunity. My Department has invited the person named to submit his application under the new scheme but he has not yet done so, and no payment can be made to him until such time as an application has been received and processed.
79 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will review the retention period for the suckler cow grant to allow some flexibility in disposal of animals and requiring replacements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18334/01]
EU regulations applicable to the suckler cow premium scheme provide for a six months retention period commencing on the day following that on which the application is submitted. Any change to the retention period would require the approval of the European Commission. It should be noted that the application period for the 2001 suckler cow premium scheme remains open until 29 June 2001. However, applications under the scheme which may be submitted for 25 days after the closing date, that is, up to 24 July, will be subject to a 1% penalty for each working day the application is late. As the marts are now reopen this will facilitate producers who wish to purchase animals in advance of applying for the 2001 suckler cow premium scheme. Applicants who lost or disposed of animals in the period 11 February to 13 May 2001 which were declared for the 2001 suckler cow scheme and which could not be replaced within 20 calendar days, as required under EU regulations, while movement restrictions were in place due to FMD, have been allowed up to 12 July 2001 to arrange replacements.
