Vol. 569 No. 3
187 Mr. Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a grant was not awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if the matter will be investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17731/03]
The person named applied for premium on 21 animals under the 2002 suckler cow premium scheme. The findings of an inspection of the herd undertaken on 30 October 2002 was that a number of unclaimed animals were non-compliant with identification and registration requirements. The herdowner was informed that as the births of 27 animals were not registered on CMMS a resultant penalty would apply to his premia payments. He sought a review of this decision but was not successful. The application has now been processed and any payment due will issue shortly.
The person named applied for a total of three animals under the 2002 special beef premium scheme. Advance payments, at a rate of 80% of premium, issued on 25 March last. The balancing payments under the special beef premium scheme will issue shortly, subject to a reduction penalty as a result of the CMMS discrepancies outlined above.
188 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when extensification premium and 20% balance of suckler cow payment will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [17739/03]
The person named applied for premium on three animals under the 2002 suckler cow premium scheme. Payment of his 80% advance instalment for €537.96 issued on 16 October 2002 and a balancing payment for €134.49 issued on 18 June 2003. The person named applied for the 2002 extensification premium under the simplified system, opting for the low rate of payment of €40 per qualifying animal. His application has been processed and payment of €120 will issue shortly.
189 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when additional payments for area based payment for 2002 and extensification for 2001 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17780/03]
The person named was paid €264 and €99 under the 2001 extensification premium scheme on eight suckler cows and three special beef premium animals, respectively, on 8 June 2002. These payments were based on a forage area of 7.94 hectares. Later, it was established that the person named was entitled to a forage area of 11.44 hectares, thus qualifying him for a higher rate of extensification premium payment. He was paid the extra amount of €264 due to him on his eight suckler cows but, through an oversight, he was not paid the extra €99 due to him for the three special beef premium animals. This payment will issue shortly.
The person named was paid €705.71 on 20 September 2002 under the 2002 area based compensatory allowance scheme in respect of 7.94 hectares of more severely handicapped land at €88.88 per hectare. He was also paid an additional sum of €282.02 under a compensation package agreed with the European Union for farmers experiencing losses under the 2002 area based compensatory allowance scheme. His total payment, therefore, was €987.73. The additional sum is equal to 80% of the difference between the average sum of the payments to the person named under the 1998, 1999 and 2000 headage schemes, which was €1058.23, and the amount payable under the 2002 area based compensatory allowance scheme. As he was eventually entitled to payment on a forage area of 11.44 hectares, his entitlement was €1,016.79 at €88.88 per hectare, together with an additional sum of €33.15, making a total €1,049.94. As he had already been paid €987.73, he was due a further payment of €62.21, which issued on 7 April 2003.
190 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2002 extensification was not awarded in full to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17781/03]
The person named applied for 2002 extensification premium under the census system. His application was processed using CMMS database information for the second census date rather than the information supplied on his census form. This resulted in payment issuing at the low rate of €40 per qualifying animal rather than the high rate which would have resulted from the use of his census information. The person named will be sent a copy of the information on which payment was based. He will have the opportunity of showing that the information on the CMMS database was incorrect, if that was the case. If the information was incorrect, the payment will be recalculated and if it is found that a higher payment is due it will issue as soon as possible.
191 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2002 extensification payment has not issued to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17782/03]
The person named did not lodge an EXPR1 form indicating his interest in obtaining extensification premium for 2002 and, accordingly, cannot now be considered for payment of the premium.
