Michael Ring
Question:184 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when persons (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a REP scheme payment. [11530/03]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Payment will issue shortly to the persons named.
Michael Ring
Question:185 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not received a fifth year payment of the REP scheme; and when they will be paid. [11531/03]
This application has now been processed and payment will issue shortly.
Michael Ring
Question:186 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the 20% balancing payment of the suckler cow premium 2002 will issue; the number of farmers nationwide waiting for this payment; and the value of same. [11532/03]
Pat Breen
Question:209 Mr. P. Breen asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason that the 20% balance of the suckler cow premium which should have been paid earlier this year has not been paid to farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12137/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 209 together.
The issue of the 20% balancing payment under the 2002 suckler cow premium scheme commenced on 30 April 2003. To date more than 55,000 farmers representing 88% of applicants have received over €37 million in balancing payments. It is estimated that the amount outstanding to some 9,000 farmers is approximately €10 million. The delay in issuing the balancing payments arose due to the requirement to apply penalties across all bovine premium schemes with effect from the 2002 scheme year and also because of problems with the overshoot of the special beef premium national quota. While the requirement to apply penalties across all bovine premium schemes under amending Regulation 2419/2001 will mean later balancing payments for 2002 and future years, the penalties that will be applied to the bovine schemes for irregularities and late lodgment of area aid applications will be much lighter than those that applied up to now.