Vol. 541 No. 3
89 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will review the amount of grant approved for payments to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny under the farm waste management scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22561/01]
A written approval for grant aid under the scheme of investment aid for farm waste management issued to the person named on 23 August 2001. The amount of aid approved was based on my Department's standard costings and the investments which the person in question had agreed to undertake. The standard costings were reviewed prior to the introduction of the scheme in February 2001 and were increased on average by 11.5% on the 1999 costings. The costings are considered to be a fair and accurate reflection of the average cost of carrying out investments, excluding value added tax. While there is a commitment to an annual review of the standard costings under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, any increase will only apply to grant aid approved after the date of application of the most recently approved costings.
90 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will grant a right of appeal to a person (details supplied) in County Cork regarding an area aid payment. [22562/01]
The position is that the new area-based compensatory allowance scheme agreed in July 2000 and approved by the European Commission in the context of the CAP rural development plan provides for area related payments as follows: more severely handicapped (lowland); £70 per hectare up to 45 hectares; less severely handicapped (lowland), £60 per hectare up to 45 hectares; Mountain type land, £45 per hectare up to 60 hectares.
The person named has been paid a total of £2,578.71 in respect of 6.18 hectares of more severely handicapped lowland at £70 per hectare and 47.69 hectares of mountain at £45 per hectare.
The scheme is currently under review with a view to finding the most equitable arrangements with particular reference to farmers with mountain type land.
