P. J. Sheehan
Ceist:102 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive payment of a forestry grant due to him. [4971/98]
Written Answers - Grant Payments.
An application form has now issued to enable the person in question apply for the compensatory allowance payment. Upon receipt of the completed form, payment will be made without delay.
P. J. Sheehan
Ceist:103 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason farmers who entered the forest premia scheme in 1992 and 1993 received only a premium of £25 per acre while farmers who entered the same scheme in 1993 received a premium of £50 per acre; and the steps, if any, he will take to redress this anomaly to bring those applicants for the 1992 scheme into line with 1993 and subsequent years' applicants. [4972/98]
Eligible farmers who planted in 1992 qualified for the premium rates applicable under the forest premium scheme. Increased rates of premium were introduced under the CAP scheme and applied in cases where a forestry development was approved on or after 1 August 1992 and for which the afforestation grant was paid on or after 1 January 1993.
Efforts to improve the situation of farmers paid under the earlier scheme have to date been turned down by the European Commission. I am having the matter looked at afresh.