Michael Ring
Question:175 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when an area based payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Galway. [30448/01]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The 2001 area aid application for the person named has been fully processed and payment due under the 2001 area based compensatory allowance scheme will issue within the next week.
Michael Ring
Question:176 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason an inspection has not been carried out on the farm of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [30466/01]
It is not proposed to carry out an area inspection in this case and payment under the 2001 area based compensatory allowance scheme will issue to the person named within the next week.
Michael Creed
Question:177 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the situation regarding an application under the 2001 area based compensation scheme; the reason the lands in question were so classified; and if the person (details supplied) would be entitled to compensation arising from this. [30538/01]
The person named was paid £570.62 under the 2001 area based compensatory allowance scheme on 24 September 2001 in respect of 12.68 hectares of mountain type land at £45 per hectare. This compares with his average payment of £332.33 under the old animal based headage schemes in the three years 1998, 1999 and 2000.
In 1997, a review of mountain type grazing lands for sheep headage purposes in the more severely handicapped areas and the less severely handicapped areas was carried out by my Department. All land classified as mountain type grazing was subsequently identified as such on the land parcel identification system. This designation as mountain type grazing suited most farmers, especially those engaged in sheep production, allowing them to be paid headage grants on mountain type ewes. However, in designating the areas concerned on the land parcel identification system, regard had to be had to certain natural boundaries such as rivers and roads and it was not possible to exclude certain farms where sheep production did not take place.
Following a thorough review of the area based compensatory allowance scheme, proposals have now been submitted to the European Commission for increased payment rates for farmers with mountain type land. The proposal involves making a payment of £80 per hectare on the first ten hectares of mountain type land with a payment of £70 per hectare on each remaining hectare, subject to an overall payment ceiling of 45 hectares. Subject to securing the necessary EU approval it is intended that the revised payment rates will take effect in the current year.