Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:142 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in relation to a REP scheme payment for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8971/99]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
The person concerned lodged an application, which included commonage land, under the REP scheme on 11 August 1998.
The revised REP scheme requires that a framework plan be drawn up for all commonage land.
The preparation of the framework plans is being carried out under the supervision of my Department and the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. As there are approximately 8,000 commonages in all it will take some time before framework plans will be available for all commonages.
Pending the availability of commonage framework plans an interim national framework plan has been put in place to facilitate the processing of REPS applications which include commonage land. Under the interim national framework plan ewe numbers shall not exceed 70 per cent of the 1998 levels in counties Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry.
Priority is being given to the preparation of commonage framework plans in the six western counties of Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway and Kerry and it is expected that many of these plans will be available by the end of June 1999. When commonage framework plans become available all plans drawn up under the interim national framework plan will need to be revised to conform with the conditions laid down for the individual commonage concerned.
Cecilia Keaveney
Ceist:143 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position in relation to a REP scheme payment for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8972/99]
The person concerned lodged a second year REPS application accompanied by a revised agri-environmental plan on 12 January 1998. The revised plan included additional land for which the applicant sought payment. On examination, it appeared that this land, while in the applicants possession at the time of joining REPS, was not included in his original plan.
It is a requirement of the scheme that all lands farmed must be included in the agri-environmental plan. The applicant has been asked to explain why this land was not included in his original plan. No payment can issue pending a satisfactory explanation.
Dan Neville
Ceist:144 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a 1995 ten month suckler cow premium will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick in view of the fact that the Office of the Ombudsman was advised in July 1998 that his Department had decided to pay the premium following a review of the case. [9013/99]
The appeal which the herdowner lodged concerning his 1995 suckler cow premium application is currently being examined by the headage and premia appeals unit and it is expected that a decision will be made shortly. The herdowner will be notified of the outcome.
Ulick Burke
Ceist:145 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a grant under the tuberculosis eradication scheme, due since August 1997, will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; the reason for withdrawing the grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9014/99]
TB reactor grants will be paid to the herdowner in question when the required tax clearance certificate has been submitted by the herdowner to Galway district veterinary office. The herdowner has been reminded of the requirement on a number of occasions.
Jimmy Deenihan
Ceist:146 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when reactor compensation payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9016/99]
Following presentation of a tax clearance certificate by the person named on 8 March 1999 payment of reactor grants was made on the 23 March 1999.
Michael Finucane
Ceist:147 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when outstanding brucellosis payments will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [9022/99]
Reactor and depopulation grants for the person named have been processed for payment, which will issue shortly.
Michael Finucane
Ceist:148 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason an extensification premium was reduced for a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [9025/99]
The person named applied for 16 suckler cows under the 1997 suckler cow premium scheme. He held a quota of 15 premium rights for 1997 and was, therefore, paid suckler cow premium on 15 cows. No application was received under the special beef premium scheme.
Extensification premium is paid on all animals paid under the suckler cow and special beef premium schemes if the stocking density of a holding is less than 1.4 Lu/Ha. Two rates of payment apply for 1997 extensification on suckler cows, £43.13 if the stocking density is less than 1.0 Lu/Ha and £29.86 if the stocking density is 1.0 Lu/Ha or over but less than 1.4 Lu/Ha.
The person named had a stocking density of 0.79 Lu/Ha and was, therefore, paid the high rate of extensification on 15 suckler cows amounting to £646.95 on 18 June 1998.
Michael Ring
Ceist:151 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1998 headage and premia in view of the fact he has proof of postage that his 1998 area aid application was submitted. [9038/99]
No area aid application was received in 1998 from the person named. However, if the person named immediately forwards a postal certificate as proof of postage and a copy of his original application, my Department will have it processed.