Michael Ring
Ceist:98 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the remainder of her 1996 suckler cow premia. [13582/97]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The person named was paid her 1996 suckler cow premium advance of £673.10 on 27 January 1997. The balance due will be paid within a week.
Michael Ring
Ceist:99 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his cattle headage premia for 1995 and 1996 and his second and third instalments of ewe premia for 1996. [13584/97]
The herd number is currently registered in the name of the deceased father of the person named in the question. No further grants under the headage and premia schemes can be paid to him until such time as probate is furnished and the herd number is transferred to the person named.
Michael Ring
Ceist:100 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his BSE compensation and top-up for 1995 and 1996. [13585/97]
The person named was paid 20 special beef premium 1996 BSE top-up grants of £19.08 on 7 October 1996 as this is the number of animals on which he was paid special beef premium under the 1995 schemes.
The regulations governing payment of the 1996 BSE compensation package (which was paid out last October) provide for payment of top-ups in respect of animals which qualified for payment under the 1995 EU suckler cow premium scheme and 1995 EU special beef premium scheme. The regulations also provide for adjustments, upwards and downwards, later on to take account of the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium scheme and the 1996 EU special beef premium scheme. In effect the regulations require that when all balancing payments under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium schemes and 1996 EU special beef premium schemes are made a comparison is to be carried out between the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1995 schemes and the number qualifying under the 1996 schemes. Money is to be recouped from those farmers who, having received a BSE top-up payment in respect of animals qualifying under the 1995 schemes, had fewer animals qualifying under the 1996 schemes. This money will be recouped either from 1996 scheme entitlements of the farmers concerned or, alternatively, from entitlements under the 1997 schemes.
Under the regulations, the money so recouped is then to be used to make payments to those farmers who had more animals under the 1996 schemes than they had under the 1995 schemes. When these adjustments are made later this year, the herdowner in this case will be paid an additional 20 1996 BSE top-up grants as he had a total of 40 animals on which he was paid beef premium in 1996. The rate payable per animal will depend on the overall amount of money recouped.
The person named will be paid 40 special beef premium top-up grants (£400) under the 1997 BSE/agrimonetary package shortly.
Michael Ring
Ceist:101 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid for the remaining two animals on his suckler cow scheme application for 1996. [13586/97]
The person named will be paid the balance due to him on the remaining two animals on his 1996 suckler cow premium application within a week.
Michael Ring
Ceist:102 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his cattle top-up for 1996 in view of the fact that the delay is causing hardship. [13587/97]
The person named was paid £122.82 under the 1997 suckler cow BSE-agrimonetary package. Payment of special beef premium BSE top-up due under this package will be made shortly.
He was paid 1996 BSE suckler cow top-up grants on five animals at £22.40 rate on 8 October 1996 and two special beef premium BSE top-up grants of £19.08 per animal on 7 October 1996.
The regulations governing payment of the 1996 BSE compensation package (which was paid out last October) provided for payment of top-ups in respect of animals which qualified for payment under the 1995 EU suckler cow premium scheme and 1995 EU special beef premium scheme. The regulations also provided for adjustments, upwards and downwards, later on to take account of the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium scheme and the 1996 EU special beef premium scheme. In effect, the regulations require that when all balancing payments under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium schemes and 1996 EU special beef premium schemes are made, a comparison is to be carried out between the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1995 schemes and the number qualifying under the 1996 schemes. Money is to be recouped from those farmers who, having received a BSE top-up payment in respect of animals qualifying under the 1995 schemes, had fewer animals qualifying under the 1996 schemes. This money will be recouped either from 1996 extensification entitlements of the farmers concerned or, alternatively, from entitlements under the 1997 schemes.
Under the regulations, the money so recouped is then to be used to make payments to those farmers who had more animals under the 1996 schemes than they had under the 1995 schemes. When these adjustments are made later this year, this herdowner will be due further top-up grants on one suckler cow and two beef premium animals.
Michael Ring
Ceist:103 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the remainder of his 1996 suckler cow premia. [13588/97]
The person named applied for 1996 suckler cow premium on six animals and gave dates of last calving, as required, for five of them. The sixth animal was not shown as having previously calved i.e. no date of last calving was entered on the application. A forward date of calving was, however, recorded. The Department accepted that as the applicant openly declared an in-calf heifer which was an ineligible animal on his application, this could be regarded as an innocent error on his part. As a result, this animal was deleted, without any reduction penalty, and an advance payment on five cows amounting to £560.92 was made on 2 December 1996. The balancing payment of £140.23 was made on 23 April 1997.
Michael Ring
Ceist:104 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the 20 per cent payment of his 1996 suckler cow premia. [13589/97]
The person named applied for 1996 suckler cow premium on seven animals and has not yet been paid grants on any of them. At an inspection carried out on his herd in early December 1996 only six of the animals listed were presented. The seventh animal was absent and it was established, with the herdowner, that it was absent at application date. The application was completed from cattle identity cards held at the time, even though a checklist which issued with the application form and terms and conditions instructed the applicant that the eartag number of each cow being applied on should be physically checked. The applicant was informed on 11 December 1996 that the animal was being rejected and payment would be made on the other animals at a reduced rate. He sought a review of this decision.
His case was reviewed and the original decision was upheld. He was informed on 11 June 1997 that he could appeal his case further to the headage and premia appeals unit within 21 days. Since he has not appealed within the relevant timeframe, his 1996 suckler cow premium application will now be finalised and payment in respect of six animals at a reduced rate will issue in the near future.
Michael Ring
Ceist:105 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive his 1996 suckler cow premia. [13590/97]
The person named applied for grants under the 1995 suckler cow premium scheme. He was considered to have made a deliberate false declaration as he declared as beef breeds cows which he had previously declared as dairy type and which were no longer eligible for suckler cow premium. The penalty in this type of case is loss of 1995 suckler grants and exclusion from the 1996 scheme also.
Following an appeal the penalty was reduced to one year only. He was informed of this on 9 September 1996 by the headage and premia appeals unit. He was also informed that, if he had not lodged a 1996 suckler cow premium application form already that there would be an application period in October 1996 and that he should contact his district livestock office for an application form. An application form plus helpsheet and terms and conditions did issue to the person named, without his requesting same, on 9 October 1996 together with a copy of the appeals unit's decision.
While the person named did lease out his suckler cow quota during May 1996 he would have had an opportunity in October 1996 to lease in quota rights if he wished to apply for the scheme in that application period.
No application form in respect of the 1996 suckler cow premium scheme was received from the person named, consequently no grants under this scheme are payable to him.
Michael Ring
Ceist:106 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry whether a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive payment for her remaining 29 animals for the 1996 ewe premium and sheep headage schemes. [13591/97]
All payments due under the 1996 ewe premium and sheep headage schemes have been made to the person named so I am assuming the question relates to the 1997 schemes.
Following an inspection of her flock under the 1997 schemes she was deemed ineligible as her sheep were not at the location she declared on her application. She has since appealed this decision under the procedures set up under the Charter of Rights for Farmers and she will be notified of the outcome of this appeal as soon as possible.
Michael Ring
Ceist:107 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the remainder of her sheep headage and cattle headage premia for 1996, based on 71 hectares as per her application. [13592/97]
The person named applied on 205 ewes under the 1996 ewe premium scheme. She holds a quota for 163 ewes and was paid her full entitlement of £3,178.61; the first instalment of £1,741.35 was paid on 5 July 1996, the second instalment of £738.50 was paid on 11 November 1996 and the final instalment of £698.76 was paid on 19 February 1997.
She applied on 170 mountain ewes and 35 hogget ewes under the 1996 sheep headage scheme. Clause 8 of the terms and conditions governing this scheme states that "no applicant will be paid sheep/goat headage on more than 200 sheep and goats combined". Accordingly, she was paid her full entitlement on 200 animals and received a part-payment of £1,630 on 11 November 1996 and the balance of £370 on 29 January 1997. She also received her full entitlement under the 1996 sheep headage top-up; a part-payment of £198 was paid on 5 December 1996 and the balance of £37 was paid on 25 March 1997.
She applied on 12 animals under the 1996 suckler cow scheme. Her suckler cow quota is for 11.9 animals and she received her full entitlement of £1,668.73; an advance of £1,334.98 was paid on 11 November 1996 and the balance of £333.75 was paid on 15 April 1997.
She applied on 23 animals under the 1996 cattle headage scheme and a part-payment of £223.78 was made on 13 November 1996. Payment of the balance of her entitlement under this scheme was delayed because not all of her land was digitised under the 1996 land parcel identification system. My Department is arranging a manual payment of £1,002 for the balance of her entitlement under this scheme, and payment will be made within the next two to three weeks.
Michael Ring
Ceist:108 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive an extensification premium for the 12 bullocks on his application; and when he will receive his BSE compensation, promised since October 1996. [13593/97]
The person named will be paid 1996 extensification premium on 12 beef premium animals shortly.
The regulations governing payment of the 1996 BSE compensation package which was paid out in October 1996, provided for payment of a top-up of £22.40 per head in respect of suckler cows qualifying for payment under the 1995 suckler cow scheme and £19.08 per head in respect of steers qualifying for payment under the 1995 special beef premium scheme. As this herdowner did not submit an application under the 1995 special beef premium schemes and was not entitled to payment in respect of his 1995 suckler cow application due to the number of animals rejected, he was not eligible for payment at those rates.
The regulations governing the suckler and special beef premium top-ups provided for adjustments, upwards and downwards, later on to take account of the number of animals qualifying for payment under the 1996 EU suckler cow premium and special beef premium schemes. The EU Commission insisted that the initial top-ups should be based on the 1995 schemes in order to ensure that the payments could be made before 15 October 1996.
The regulations require that when all payments under the 1996 suckler cow and special beef premium schemes are made, a comparison is to be carried out between the number of animals qualifying under the 1995 schemes and the number qualifying under the 1996 schemes. Money is then to be recouped from those farmers who, having received the top-up in respect of animals qualifying under the 1995 schemes, had fewer animals qualifying under the 1996 schemes. Money so recouped is to be used to make top-up payments to those farmers who already received top-ups under the 1995 schemes but had more animals in 1996 than they had in 1995 and also to the farmers who had no entitlement under the 1995 schemes.
My Department is continuing to carry out a comparison between the number of suckler cows and steers qualifying for premium in 1995 and 1996 with a view to recouping overpayments in appropriate cases from any 1996 entitlements still remaining to be paid and/or entitlements under the 1997 BSE/agrimonetary package. When all of the overpayments have been recouped, the money available will be distributed to those farmers who had more animals qualifying under the 1996 suckler cow scheme and the 1996 special beef premium scheme. The rate payable per animal to the farmers concerned will depend on the overall amount of money recouped. When these adjustments are made later this year, this herdowner will be due 12 such grants in respect of his 1996 beef premium animals and 15 in respect of his 1996 suckler cows.
Michael Ring
Ceist:109 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the remainder of his 1996 sheep headage premium. [13595/97]
The person named qualified for grants of £1,428 under the 1996 sheep headage scheme. Due to complications which arose in processing this area aid application his mountain grazings could not be digitised under the land parcel identification system and consequently payments of £504 were issued in respect of his lowland hoggets only. As all the lands in this case are classified as mountain grazing, arrangements are being made to have a balancing payment of £924 issued shortly in respect of his mountain breeding ewes.
Michael Ring
Ceist:110 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid his 1996 extensification and cow premia as the delay is causing hardship. [13596/97]
The person named applied for 1996 suckler cow premium on five animals on 31 October 1996. Two of the cows included on this application were each applied on under different herd numbers during the May application period for this scheme. The Department must establish that the person named had ownership of these two cows at date of lodgement of his application. He has been requested to supply documentation confirming such ownership. When this documentation is received and if it is in order his suckler cow premium application will be finalised and payment will issue. Payment of extensification premium is ongoing and if the person named is found eligible, after all of his 1996 applications have been processed, he will be paid in the near future.