Vol. 519 No. 4
26 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if his attention has been drawn to any problems arising in the ewe premium retention scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13868/00]
The retention period for the ewe premium scheme lasts for 100 days beginning on the closing date for the lodgement of applications. As the closing date for the scheme this year was 20 January 2000 the retention period lasted until 28 April 2000. Since hogget ewes which are at least one year old at the end of the retention period qualify for ewe premium it is generally accepted that the retention period cannot expire any earlier than towards the end of April each year. An earlier retention period would mean that some hogget ewes, born in the previous April, would not be eligible for the premium. The requirement for retention periods under the various EU livestock schemes during which animals applied on must be held and maintained by the applicant is an integral part of each scheme and is set out in EU regulations. The retention period under the ewe premium scheme serves to ensure that beneficiaries are genuine sheep producers who normally maintain sheep on an ongoing basis.
