Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 3 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 7

Written Answers - Grant Payments.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

119 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the number of applicants in the 1998 schemes (details supplied); the number of applicants awaiting payment; and the value of outstanding payments in this regard. [26154/98]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

To date this year over £776 million has been paid to farmers under the various EU headage and premium schemes of which almost £476 million relates to payments made under the 1998 schemes.

Payments will continue to be made as queries on the scheme applications and area aid applications are resolved so as to ensure that all eligible cases are paid their entitlements. Furthermore, not all applicants will receive payment because some may be deemed ineligible for one reason or another while others may be subject to penalties because of breaches of the terms and conditions of the schemes concerned. It should be noted also that payments do not conclude at the end of the calendar year. For example, under the suckler cow premium scheme and the special beef premium scheme the regulation provide for advance payments in the year of application with balancing payments being made in the following year. Payments to applicants under the October 1998 suckler cow premium scheme cannot commence until such time as the six month retention period expires in April 1999.

In addition, over £122 million has been paid under REPS. The total amount of annual payments made under the early retirement scheme is ing table sets out the details for the various schemes. As a number of applications under the various schemes have outstanding queries it is not possible to determine the value of outstanding payments.

However, payment targets under the charter of rights for farmers for the main headage and premium schemes are very specific and in 1998 the targets for the commencement of payments have been met or indeed surpassed under these schemes.

1998 Payment Position

Scheme	Number of applicants	Amount paid £m
Ewe Premium (1st and 2nd instalments)	44,585	70.126
Deseasonalisation Slaughter Premium	24,602	25.759
BSE-Agri-monetary	automatic top-up (i)	15.205
Sheep Headage (including Top-up)	31,380	19.200
Cattle-Equine-Beef Cow Headage	94,472	80.795
Special Beef Premium	86,504 (ii)	76.740
Suckler Cow Premium	73,590	97.740
Arable Aid	17,105	83.824
BSE Top-Ups	automatic	6.300
REPS	39,250	122.098
Early Retirement Scheme	8,065	see note (iii) below
Total		597.787

Notes:

(i) Excluding BSE-agri-monetary payments of £21.5 million the total amount paid under the other 1998 schemes to date is £454.184 million. The corresponding figure paid at this time last year under the 1997 schemes was £380.180 million.

(ii) The number of applicant from January 1998 to November 1998 — only January to September applications are due for payment now as retention period has not expired in respect of later applications.

(iii) A little over 8,000 farmers at present benefit from the scheme of early retirement. The average annual pension at present is £9,360. There are a further 360 applications currently being processed.