Phil Hogan
Question:142 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason payments have been discontinued to persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29502/04]
View answerThursday, 18 November 2004
Questions (142, 143, 144, 145, 146)
Written answers
The persons named have to date lodged a total of 13 applications under the 2004 special beef premium scheme listing a total of 393 animals. Under the 2004 EU slaughter premium scheme, 1,011 eligible animals have been identified as slaughtered from the herds of the persons named. An application for 2004 suckler cow premium on 62 animals was lodged on 21 April 2004 by the second person mentioned. There may be a problem regarding the movements of some of these animals which could have a bearing on their eligibility under these schemes. My Department has been in contact with the persons named concerning this possible problem and will contact them again shortly to resolve that problem as quickly as possible and to allow payment of premia deemed to be due.
Martin Ferris
Question:143 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the rate of €240 per hectare will be awarded to commonage farmers who joined the REP scheme after 1 January 2005. [29503/04]
View answerThe maximum rate of payment on commonage under measure A of REPS, €242 perhectare, includes an element in respect of income lost through destocking of sheep. In accordance with the terms of the EU regulations governing the single payment scheme, farmers with commonage who, because they had been destocked before the reference period, applied to have years other than that period used in the calculation of their single payment entitlements must agree to accept a reduced agri-environment payment. As matters stand, therefore, farmers applying to join REPS from January 2005 onwards who have been given credit for destocking in their single payment entitlements will not be eligible for the full measure A payment.
Paul Connaughton
Question:144 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2004 suckler cow and ewe premium grants have not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29558/04]
View answerPayment under the 2004 suckler cow and ewe premium schemes was delayed pending receipt of legal documents regarding ownership. These documents have now been received and payment of the suckler cow and ewe premium will be made shortly.
Gerard Murphy
Question:145 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if an application under the single payment scheme 2005 in the name of a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be reviewed. [29596/04]
View answerTo date, my Department has issued provisional entitlements statements to approximately 130,000 farmers in connection with the advent of the new single payment scheme. The statement includes a detailed breakdown of how the provisional entitlements were calculated.
Farmers who are not satisfied with their provisional entitlements statement may seek a review on a form which is available from all local offices of my Department and from my Department's website.
I have had arrangements made to have a review form forwarded to the person named, who should complete it and return it to: Single Payment Entitlements Review Section, Special Beef Premium Unit, Old Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise, County Laois. My officials will then be in direct contact with the person named regarding the review.
My intention is that definitive entitlements statements will issue early in 2005.
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:146 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if persons (details supplied) in County Kildare will qualify under the single payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29597/04]
View answerThe single payment entitlement is calculated using the average number of animals and hectares on which direct payments were made during the reference years 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Department records indicate that the person named was not a participant under the direct payment schemes during this period and therefore does not qualify for entitlements under the single farm payment scheme.