Vol. 561 No. 2
202 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reasons that the 2002 area based compensation has not issued to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4058/03]
The person named was an applicant under the 2002 area-based compensatory allowance scheme. It is a requirement of the scheme that a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per hectare must be met. The animals required to establish the minimum stocking density must be owned, possessed, held and maintained by the applicant on the holding for at least four months of the year. The Department is satisfied that the animals in this case were not in the ownership and possession of the person named or maintained on his holding for four months. He has been written to on this basis and given the opportunity to appeal the decision to the agriculture appeals office, Post Office Box 5, Portlaoise, County Laois.
