Vol. 436 No. 4
195 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will allow a person (details supplied) in County Limerick to sell three animals and pay the premium to him as he has them for over 22 months but has to sell them due to circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is assumed that the question relates to the June 1993 special beef premium scheme application from the person named for animals of 21 months of age or over. The position is that the person named applied for grants on ten animals under that scheme and submitted cattle identity cards in respect of all of them for punching and stamping. He may, therefore, sell all of these animals if he wishes to do so.
However, animals in respect of which special beef premium is being claimed in the current application period which closes on 30 November 1993 have to be retained for a minimum period of two months after application.
Under EC Regulations payments for the 1993 special beef premium schemes could not commence until after 1 November 1993 and even then only a 60 per cent advance can be paid in cases where the necessary administrative or on-the-spot checks have been carried out. Payment of these advances is now commencing.
196 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when sheep headage payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
Payments under the 1993 sheep headage schemes commenced just over two weeks ago and the person named was paid her grant on 29 November.
197 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when it is proposed to make payment to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo under the farm development scheme.
Having regard to the level of claims currently on hands, I expect that payment will be made within four to six weeks.
198 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he has received an application for an additional milk quota from persons (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and when a decision will be made in respect of this application.
The persons named have been notified of an additional milk quota allocation of 2,000 gallons.
199 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the position concerning the requirement that farmers must produce original maps of their holdings in order to be eligible for the 1994 livestock schemes; if farmers will require new original maps in 1995 and subsequent years; if, in the event that such maps are not required in 1995, photo-copy maps will be allowed in 1995; the sort of filing procedure that will be adopted in local livestock offices to deal with all the maps; if such maps will be returned at some stage to farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Original maps are required to be submitted with the 1994 Area Aid applications so that my Department can have confidence in the scale and accuracy of these maps. Further original maps will not be required in 1995 or subsequent years unless there are changes in the areas declared by farmers in those years. In such cases the only maps that will be required are those covering those changes. The intention is that the maps will be held in the local offices.
