Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 February 2015
279. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a payment under the suckler welfare scheme 2012 will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7011/15]
View answerThe person named registered seventeen animals born under the 2012 Suckler Welfare Scheme. Payment was made in respect of two of the animals that died and had been removed to a Knackery. Under the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme, for herds with more than ten cows, the calves must be weaned in more than one group. In this case, according to the data submitted by the person named, all 15 remaining animals were weaned together on 1 May 2013. In addition submission of all data was required within twelve months of the date of birth of the calves. The data in relation to these animals was not received until 23 October 2014 when all of the calves were at least twenty four months old. Therefore, no further payment is due to the person named under the Suckler Welfare Scheme.
While he was allocated entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme, the person named entered into a sale of all entitlements in 2008 after which time he no longer participated in that Scheme.
Under the Basic Payment Scheme that will be established in 2015, new entitlements will be allocated to persons who received a direct payment in 2013. The person named received a payment under the Beef Data Programme in 2013 and consequently holds a right to establish new entitlements in 2015. The number of entitlements that will be allocated will be based on the number of eligible hectares declared in 2013 and 2015, whichever is lower. The person named declared 25.19 eligible hectares in 2013 and, if he declares 25.19 eligible hectares in 2015, he will be allocated 25.19 entitlements in 2015.
The value of new entitlements in 2015 will be based on the value of entitlements owned by the farmer in 2014 plus the value of any payment received under the Grassland Sheep Scheme. As the person named did not establish any 'value' in 2014, the value of his entitlements will be established at the first level of the convergence process and will converge upwards over the five years of the Scheme. In 2019 his entitlements will have reached at least 60% of the National average value of entitlements.
