Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Mar 2002

Vol. 550 No. 4

Written Answers. - Direct Payment Schemes.

Seymour Crawford

Question:

247 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will outline in tabular form the top five issues or problems on which farmers incur penalties; the number of problem cases; the number of applications made under direct payment schemes (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9145/02]

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

The main reason for penalties in relation to arable or livestock premia payments is the late lodgement of applications under the various schemes. Other factors giving rise to penalties relate to non-compliance with the terms and conditions of schemes in relation to claimed and unclaimed animals and to overdeclaration of area under the area aid scheme.

It is not possible in the time available to give details of penalties in respect of each of the years specified. However, I am arranging to have information in respect of 1998, 1999 and 2000 schemes sent to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available. It should be noted that, since payments in respect of 2001 schemes will not be completed until 30 June 2002, it is not possible to determine the overall level of penalties to be applied until after that date. The number of applications received under each of the various schemes specified are shown in the following table.

No. of applications received from 1998 to 2001, inclusive

Scheme	1998	1999	2000	2001
Suckler Cow Premium	77,197	74,025	71,077	66,929
Special Beef Premium 9 month	123,654	–	–	–
Special Beef Premium 21 month	110,050	–	–	–
Special Beef Premium Bull	8,616	–	–	–
Special Beef Premium	–	187,150	169,112	158,932
Ewe Premium	44,506	43,697	41,211	38,647
Extensification Premium	No application necessary	No application necessary	107,605	102,473
Deseasonalisation Slaughter Premium (see note 2)	33,763	33,117	No scheme in 2000	No scheme in 2001
New Slaughter Premium First introduced in 2000	–	–	98,957	99,225
Disadvantaged Areas Schemes (see note 3)	124,825	120,036	114,706	104,504
Arable Aid	16,946	16,317	16,021	16,013

Notes:

1. In 1998 farmers had to submit separate applications under each age category and bull category under the special beef premium scheme each time they applied subject to a maximum of six applications under each category. As and from 1999 a combined form covering all three categories was used each time they applied subject to a maximum of eight applications.

2. There was no deseasonalisation slaughter premium scheme in 2000 or 2001 as the slaughterings in the autumn of the respective previous years were not sufficiently high to activate a scheme.

3. The applications in respect of the five livestock headage schemes are combined under 1998, 1999 and 2000 years above. A farmer could have applied for payment under one or all of those schemes. These five schemes were replaced by one area-based scheme in 2001.