Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Apr 2003

Vol. 564 No. 3

Written Answers - Agricultural Schemes.

Emmet Stagg

Question:

58 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the arrangements for applications under the 2003 area aid scheme, the extensification premium scheme, the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowances scheme, the arable aid scheme and the EU livestock premia schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8848/03]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

Area aid application forms for 2003 were issued to farmers in February to early March 2003. The closing date specified on the application forms was Monday, 31 March 2003, but the closing date has now been extended to Monday, 7 April 2003. Area aid application forms should be lodged in the area aid unit, Hume House, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4. Application forms can also be accepted in my Department's local offices to facilitate farmers who are lodging applications near to the closing date.

There are no separate application forms for the extensification premium scheme the arable aid scheme or the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowances scheme. Farmers who wish to participate in the 2003 extensification premium scheme are required to indicate this on their area aid application forms. They do not have to opt for either a simplified system or census system for determining eligibility as in previous years. Instead, eligibility will be determined by my Department which will use the cattle movement monitoring system, CMMS, in the calculation of stocking density.

Application for the arable aid scheme can only be made on the area aid application form. Similarly, application for the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowances scheme must also be made on the area aid application form.

Declarations of forage area for the purposes of obtaining suckler cow premium, special beef premium and extensification premium must be made on the area aid application form. Separate application forms must be used to declare the animals being entered for the suckler cow and special beef premium schemes. In the case of the suckler cow premium scheme application forms for 2003 were issued in December 2002 to farmers who normally participate in the scheme. The application period is 2 January 2003 to 27 June 2003 and applications should be lodged in the local offices of my Department.

Application forms for the 2003 special beef premium scheme were issued to farmers in late 2002. The application period runs throughout the year. Applications should be lodged in the special beef premium unit, Department of Agriculture and Food, Portlaoise, County Laois.

There are no application forms for the slaughter premium scheme. Eligibility for the scheme is determined from the cattle movement monitoring system, CMMS, database. Application forms for the 2003 ewe premium scheme were issued to farmers who normally participate in the scheme in late 2002. The application period ran from 4 December 2002 to 3 January 2003 and application forms had to be lodged in the local offices of my Department. There are no specific application forms for payments under the national envelopes for beef and ewe premium, or for supplementary payments under the ewe premium scheme. All these payments are made as top-ups on existing schemes and my Department determines eligibility from information supplied to it on applications and information available from the CMMS database.

All of the schemes I have mentioned are widely advertised in the national, local and farming press so that farmers are made aware of them and can apply for those that are relevant to them.