Vol. 513 No. 1
233 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo received £450 under the cull ewe scheme in view of the fact that he expected to receive £494. [1170/00]
Under the Dúchas compensation scheme for ewes culled under the ewe supplementary measure, 1998 the rates of payment were fixed at £25 for the loss of each premium under the 1999 ewe premium scheme, £11 for the loss of each grant under the 1999 sheep headage scheme and £2 for each ewe culled. The maximum payable on any ewe was therefore £38. According to my Department's records for the 1999 schemes the person named was at the loss of 13 ewe premia for which he received £25 each, nine sheep headage grants at £11 each. He also received £2 for each of the 13 ewes that he actually culled in 1998. His total entitlement was therefore £450.
234 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage. [1172/00]
The person named applied for a total of 3.84 hectares on his 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of his application an area of 3.5 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 0.34 hectares or 9.71% between the area claimed and that determined.
Under Article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92, no penalty is applied when the difference is less than 3%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied. In this case therefore a penalty of 0.68 hectares has to apply, leaving the area at 2.82 hectares. He does not therefore satisfy the minimum 3 hectares required to qualify for headage payments as set out in clause 11 of the terms and conditions governing the 1999 cattle headage scheme.
235 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle and sheep headage. [1173/00]
The 1999 area aid application of the person named has now been fully processed and any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
236 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo has not received 1999 cattle and sheep headage payments. [1174/00]
The person named amended his original 1999 area aid application to include two new plots. These new plots have now been entered on the Department's electronic database. Any payments due will issue as soon as possible.
237 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle and sheep headage. [1175/00]
As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 31 of 16 December 1999, the person named included a number of different commonages in his 1999 area aid application, but did not provide proof of his entitlement to claim any of these commonages. The person named was written to in this regard and has since provided some proofs and undertaken to provide the area aid unit with further proof when it becomes available to him. No payments can issue until all the relevant proofs have been received.
238 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 sheep headage and premia. [1176/00]
My Department has no record of having received an application for the 1999 sheep schemes from the person named.
239 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a 1999 sheep headage top up payment. [1177/00]
The person named included commonage in his 1999 area aid application, but did not provide proof of his entitlement to claim this commonage. He has been written to in this regard. No further payments can issue until this matter is resolved.
240 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when persons (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle and sheep headage payments. [1179/00]
The person named submitted an area aid application which included a plot of land in respect of which a dual claim has been determined. My Department has contacted both herdowners to clarify the matter. No payments can issue until this matter has been satisfactorily resolved.
241 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle and sheep headage and premia; the reason for the delay; and the reason he has been contacted regarding a problem with his application. [1180/00]
As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 163 of 16 November 1999, the person named submitted an area aid application that included a new parcel of land in respect of which a dual claim was determined. My Department contacted both herdowners to clarify the matter. The herdowner's Teagasc adviser has confirmed to the area aid unit that the above named does not have a right to claim this parcel.
The person named also included another new parcel on his area aid application. After it was entered on the Department's electronic database, it was found to contain less than the area he had claimed. The person named was also contacted in this regard. He forwarded a map of the correct boundaries of this parcel, which is being entered on the Department's electronic database. When this process has been completed any payments due will issue.
242 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive the balance payment for 1999 suckler cow premium and full payment entitlement under the 1999 cattle headage scheme; and when she will receive her balance payment of 1998 suckler cow premium in view of the fact that she was promised payment several weeks ago. [1181/00]
A cheque for the amount of £1,254.65 issued to the person named on 16 December 1999. This amount comprised her full entitlement under the 1999 cattle headage scheme of £1,062.60; the balance of the 60% advance due to her of £59.24 under the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme and the balance due to her of £132.81 under the 1998 suckler cow premium schemes.
Payment of the final instalment under the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme will commence in February 2000.
243 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo is entitled to payment on his 1999 suckler cow premium and ewe premium applications in view of the fact that he had insufficient forage area to submit an area aid application. [1182/00]
The person named applied for seven animals under the 1999 suckler cow scheme and a 60% advance payment was made on 20 January 2000.
The person named was not an applicant under the 1999 ewe premium scheme.
244 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agri Food and Rural Development Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage. [1183/00]
As stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 14 December 1999, the person named did not initially supply the maps necessary to process his 1999 area aid application. Therefore, the area aid unit issued maps to him to enable him to outline the boundaries of land claimed by him. A response has since been received and the details are now being entered on the Department's electronic database. No payments can issue until this process is completed.
245 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage in view of the fact that he submitted the document necessary to prove his holding entitlements. [1184/00]
The person named applied for a total of 30.99 hectares on his 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of his application an area of 30.24 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 0.75 hectares or 2.48% between the area claimed and that determined.
Under Article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92, no penalty is applied when the difference is less than 3%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied. In this case therefore no penalty is applied. Based on his forage area of 30.24 hectares, payment of £1,857 under the 1999 cattle headage scheme has now issued. Payments of his entitlements under the 1999 suckler cow scheme, amounting to £718.95 and £63.81 under the euro compensation scheme will issue tomorrow.
246 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage and special beef premium in view of the fact that all necessary documents were submitted in 1999. [1185/00]
The area aid unit has been in contact with the person named on a number of occasions concerning various difficulties with his area aid application. Despite this he has still not submitted proof of his entitlement to claim commonage. His application cannot therefore be fully processed.
247 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will rescind the decision made on the headage appeal made by a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that he is an elderly man, under medical supervision and made a genuine error on his application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1215/00]
The appeal lodged by the herdowner concerning his 1999 cattle headage application was fully examined by the headage and premia appeals unit which found that the original decision was correct.
248 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage. [1231/00]
The person named applied for a total of 27.35 hectares on his 1999 area aid application form. Following processing of his application an area of 21.57 hectares was determined. This represents a difference of 5.78 hectares or 26.80% between the area claimed and that determined.
Under Article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92, no penalty is applied when the difference is less than 3%, the penalty is based on double the difference when it is between 3% and 20% and when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied. Therefore, in this case a 100% penalty must be applied and consequently no area aid related payments can issue.
249 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when an appeal for 1999 cattle headage by persons (details supplied) in County Mayo will be finalised. [1233/00]
The appeal lodged by the herdowner concerning his 1999 cattle headage application was fully examined by the headage and premia appeals unit. The herdowner was informed on 18 January 2000 of the outcome to his appeal.
250 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive 1999 cattle headage and premia. [1234/00]
The person named included commonage in her 1999 area aid application but did not provide proof of her entitlement to claim this commonage. She has been written to in this regard. No payments can issue until this matter is resolved.
251 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive balance payments for 1999 cattle headage and premia; if the dispute on forage area has been resolved; and his total forage area on digitisation. [1235/00]
The area aid application of the person named has been re-examined and the dispute in relation to forage area has been resolved in his favour. The person named applied for a total of 40.89 hectares on his area aid application form and following entry of his details on the Department's electronic database payments due will be calculated on this area.
The person named was paid £1,333.50 under the 1999 cattle headage scheme on 17 November 1999 and a further amount of £822.64 on 25 January 2000. Payment of the balance of his entitlement under this scheme, based on 40.89 hectares, will issue to him within the next three weeks. He was paid his full entitlement of £640 under the 1999 sheep headage scheme on 17 November 1999. He was also paid £64 under the 1999 sheep headage top-up on 13 January 2000.
The person named submitted two applications under the 1999 special beef premium ten months scheme and was paid the 60% advance of £102.73 in respect of his first application and £154.09 in respect of his second application on 16 November 1999. Under the 1999 ewe premium scheme the person named was paid the first instalment of £665.89 on 11 June 1999 and the second instalment of £340.94 on 20 October 1999. The balance of his 60% advance under the 1999 suckler cow premium scheme will issue to him within the next two weeks.
