Michael Ring
Ceist:284 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid a 1998 cattle headage grant. [21421/98]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The area aid application of the person named has been processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Michael Ring
Ceist:285 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid 1998 cattle and sheep headage grants. [21424/98]
Difficulties have arisen in processing the area aid application of the person named. When these have been resolved, any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Michael Ring
Ceist:286 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be paid 1998 cattle and sheep headage grants. [21425/98]
The area aid application for the person concerned has been processed and any outstanding payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Michael Ring
Ceist:287 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1998 cattle and sheep headage grants. [21426/98]
The area aid application of the person named has been processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
John Perry
Ceist:288 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if area aid problems for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be resolved and a cattle headage payment released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21427/98]
John Perry
Ceist:289 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if area aid problems for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo will be resolved and a sheep headage payment released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21428/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 288 and 289 together.
Difficulties have arisen in processing the area aid application of the person named. When these have been resolved, any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
John Perry
Ceist:290 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his Department will have a favourable decision made on a REP scheme appeal for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo in view of the fact that his stock has no access to the area and therefore no fencing is required; if payment will be released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21489/98]
An appeal was lodged in respect of this case and an inspection of the lands has recently been completed. The matter has been listed for the next meeting of the Department's appeals committee.
John Perry
Ceist:291 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his Department will have a REP scheme payment released for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo, in view of the fact that he was already inspected and audited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21490/98]
Following an on-farm inspection and detailed plan check the REPS plan of the person named was found to be deficient as it did not fully meet the agri-environmental specifications of the scheme. A revised plan was received in my Department on 23 October 1998 and this plan is currently being examined. If found to be satisfactory, a payment will issue shortly to the person named.
John Perry
Ceist:292 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo and have his area aid problems resolved in view of the fact that he had extra land rented; if his Department will have payment released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21491/98]
Difficulties have arisen in processing the area aid application of the person named. When these have been resolved, any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
John Perry
Ceist:293 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his Department will have a REP scheme payment for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo immediately released in view of the fact that the revised plan has been submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21492/98]
A second year REPS payment was issued to this person on 28 August 1998.
John Perry
Ceist:294 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if his Department will have a REP scheme payment for a person (details supplied) in County Sligo released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21493/98]
Payment issued to the person in question on 11 September 1998.
Michael Creed
Ceist:295 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of hectares included in an area aid application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; the reason a recent payment under the area aid application included a fine due to forage area restriction; if this fine is due to an error in his Department on the basis of the number of hectares included in the area aid application; and if he will ensure that this error is corrected prior to calculation of extensification entitlements. [21495/98]
The area aid application for the person concerned has been processed. On the application the applicant incorrectly declared a total area of 24.82 hectares. This error was rectified on his behalf. The total area is now 35.10 hectares and arrangements will be made to make any payment adjustments necessary.
Michael Creed
Ceist:296 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has not received payment of a 1997 extensification grant. [21494/98]
Applications were made in 1997 by the person named under the special beef premium scheme in respect of 74 animals and payment has issued.
Extensification payments are due in respect of these animals and arrangements are being made to issue payment within the next two weeks.
Brendan Kenneally
Ceist:297 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford in respect of ten and 22 months cattle headage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21497/98]
Brendan Kenneally
Ceist:301 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford in respect of sheep headage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21504/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 301 together.
The area aid application of the person named has been processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:298 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason for the delay in a headage payment to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [21499/98]
The area aid application from the person concerned has been processed and any payment due will issue as soon as possible.
John Perry
Ceist:299 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo to allow him to lease his suckler cow quota; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21502/98]
The person named held a suckler cow quota of 12 premium rights prior to 1995. Under EU Regulations governing the quota regime, effective up to 1995, farmers holding suckler cow quotas were required to use — including quota leased out — at least 50 per cent of that quota in any one of two consecutive years, otherwise the part not used in the second year would be forfeited and returned to the national reserve.
The regulation was amended in 1996 when farmers holding quotas greater than seven were required to use at least 70 per cent of their quota in that year. That percentage was increased to 90 per cent from 1997 onwards.
The table below shows the quota and application details of the person named since 1995.
|
Year |
Eligible cows |
Quota |
Quota leased out |
Quota forfeited |
|
1995 |
4 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
|
1996 |
4 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
|
1997 |
0* |
12 |
0 |
5 |
|
1998 |
3 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
*Applied on 7 cows but debarred from scheme in 1997.
As the person named did not use at least 90 per cent of his quota of 12 premium rights in 1997 he forfeited the unused part of his quota i.e. five premium rights, to the national reserve. In fact, he was debarred from the scheme in 1997 as his application was deemed to be invalid. The person named appealed that decision to the appeals unit of the Department but his appeal was rejected in June 1998.
My Department wrote to the person named on 2 February 1998 seeking the reasons for the non use of the five premium rights in 1997. Following his response my Department restored the five premium rights to the person named, on the condition that he would use at least 90 per cent of the quota of 12 premium rights himself in 1998. In reply, the person named declared that he could not use at least 90 per cent of the quota himself in 1998 and the reason he put forward could not be considered to constitute exceptional circumstances. The unused quota of five premium rights was again returned to the national reserve reducing his quota to seven premium rights.
He has now applied for the 1998 suckler cow premium scheme in the October 1998 application period in respect of three cows. The person named may retain seven premium rights for 1998, even though he will only use three of these rights himself, on condition that he will use at least 90 per cent of that quota in 1999. Under the regulations, he is not entitled to lease out any quota in 1998, but he may lease out unused quota in 1999.
John Perry
Ceist:300 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo to have his area aid problems resolved and a headage payment released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21503/98]
The area aid application of the person named has been processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
John Perry
Ceist:302 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo and have his area aid problems resolved and a 1997 extensification aid payment made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21505/98]
The person named applied for special beef premium on six animals on 10 February 1997 and received £512.28 in payment. Under the suckler cow premium, application was made on 27 May 1997 in respect of eight animals and full payment of £1,121.84 issued to him.
He is due extensification payments in respect of these animals and arrangements are being made to issue payment within the next two weeks.
Liam Aylward
Ceist:303 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress, if any, to date on the area aid application for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny which was submitted by Teagasc some time ago to his Department. [21506/98]
Difficulties have arisen in processing the area aid application of the person named. When these have been resolved, any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
Liam Aylward
Ceist:304 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will have arrangements made for payment of the balance of subsidies due to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [21507/98]
The area aid application of the person named has been processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.