Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:236 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when a slaughter premium payment will be made to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [16904/01]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Under the terms and conditions of the 2001 slaughter premium scheme, payments cannot commence until 16 October 2001. If at that stage it is found that the person named has animals eligible for the scheme, payment will issue accordingly.
Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:237 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding an appeal in respect of beef premium 2000 in which a person (details supplied) in County Cork may have been penalised. [16905/01]
Under EU regulations governing the special beef premium scheme a stocking density limit of two livestock units per hectare applies based on the forage area declared on an applicant's area aid application.
Each producer's reckonable livestock units are obtained in respect of each calendar year as follows:
|
Male cattle up to and including 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium and bull premium: |
0.6 livestock unit each. |
|
Male cattle over 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium: |
1 livestock unit each. |
|
Ewes on which the producer applies for ewe premium: |
0.15 livestock unit each. |
|
Suckler cows: |
1 livestock unit each. |
|
Notional dairy cows: |
1 livestock unit each. |
Notional dairy cows are obtained by dividing a producer's milk quota in respect of a given calendar year by the national average yield per cow for that year, or by the recorded average milk yield per cow where the producer is in an official milk recording scheme.
The above named herdowner's forage area of 37.1 hectares entitled the applicant to 74.2 reckonable livestock units. As the applicant had no milk quota, ewe premium or suckler cow premium the full 74.2 LUs were allocated to special beef premium.
As many as eight special beef premium applications were submitted. On the third application, six tags were shown to have been paid on previously and, in accordance with the regulations, were deleted and counted for premium stocking density. The above named was advised of this in writing on 29 February 2000.
Including the six deleted tags, applications 1 to 7, inclusive, accounted for 70.2 LUs, leaving four LUs, or 6.66 premium rights, available for application 8. Accordingly, as 12 tags had been applied on, the application was restricted to payment of 6.66 premium rights.
The EU regulations governing these schemes specifically provide that animals applied on in excess of the individual herdowner's permitted stocking rate of two livestock units per hectare are deemed to be paid under the instalment applied for.
Paul Connaughton
Ceist:238 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason a tuberculosis reactor grant payment has not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16930/01]
Appropriate compensation was issued to the person concerned on 8 June 2001.
John Ellis
Ceist:239 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the rate of compensation payable in respect of pedigree stock culled under the BSE slaughter scheme. [16944/01]
BSE legislation provides that farmers are compensated at current market value rates for animals, including pedigree stock, that have been depopulated as a result of BSE.
John Perry
Ceist:240 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Sligo and have the higher rate of extensification premium released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17013/01]
The person named indicated that he wished to be considered for the extensification premium 2000 at the lower rate of payment, that is, the rate that applies to a stocking density of two or less livestock units per hec tare. He did not indicate before the end of the year 2000 as provided for under the terms and conditions of the scheme that he wished to change his option. Accordingly, payment can only be made at the lower rate.
A payable order for £857.67 was issued to the person named on 20 May 2001.
John Perry
Ceist:241 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he has satisfied himself with the concerns of the Ox Mountain hill sheep farmers, in County Sligo; if his attention has been drawn to their worries where their income has been dramatically reduced as a result of the change over to the area based headage scheme; the reasons the framework plan has not yet been implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17014/01]
Under the new area based compensatory allowance scheme agreed in July 2000 the rates of payments were fixed as follows:
|
More severely handicapped areas – lowland |
£70 per hectare up to 45 hectares |
|
Less severely handicapped areas – lowland |
£60 per hectare up to 45 hectares |
|
Mountain type areas |
£45 per hectare up to 60 hectacres |
While most farmers stand to gain under these new arrangements there will be some who will incur modest losses. I have negotiated a compensation package for those who lose out under which 90% of their losses will be made good in 2001, 80% in 2002 and 50% in 2003. Under this arrangement the average loss in County Sligo in 2001 will be about £25 rising to about £50 in 2002. The Department is currently carrying out a review to see if an equitable long-term solution can be found to the problem of reduced payments, particularly in mountain type areas.
The commonage framework plans for the Ox Mountain region have not yet been finalised and approved. Work on these plans is ongoing and is at an advanced stage.
John Perry
Ceist:242 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) and authorise the release of a 2000 extensification payment in view of the fact that he was unaware that an animal had lost its tag; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17015/01]
The person named was paid extensification premium on 11 June. A deduction of 5% amounting to £25.99 arose due to non-compliance with identification and registration requirements found at two inspections on 18 January and 16 October 2000.
A further amount of £59.97 in respect of animals applied on in December 1999 will have to be deducted from any future payment due to the applicant.
John Perry
Ceist:243 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will intervene on behalf of a person (details supplied) and have the higher rate of extensification premium released; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17016/01]
The person named indicated that he wished to be considered for the extensification premium 2000 at the lower rate of payment, that is, the rate that applies to a stocking density of two or less livestock units per hectare. He did not indicate before the end of the year 2000 as provided for under the terms and conditions of the scheme that he wished to change his option and, accordingly, payment can only be made at the lower rate.
A payable order for £571.78 was issued to the person named on 20 May 2001.
Dan Neville
Ceist:244 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if, in view of the restriction on cattle trading due to the foot and mouth disease, he will extend the closing date for application for suckler cow premium to enable farmers who had planned to purchase cows to fill their quota to be in a position to do so. [17039/01]
The 2001 suckler cow premium scheme will remain open for applications until Friday, 29 June 2001. Applications may also be submitted to my Department for 25 days after the closing date, that is, up to 24 July 2001. Claims lodged after 29 June will be subject to a 1% penalty for each working date late.
Since 14 May 2001 farm to farm sales are allowed under permit. This provides producers with the opportunity of purchasing animals to fill their quota. Producers are allowed to apply for the 2001 suckler cow premium scheme on heifers over eight months old and these animals can be used to fill the suckler cow quota usage requirements. The number of heifers allowed is limited to 20% of the overall number of animals declared.
Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:245 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will re-examine a request for payment of an over payment by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [17058/01]
All applications received by my Department under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme have now been cross-checked with the cattle movement monitoring system.
With regard to the application submitted by the person named, it was found that the eight cows on which he had applied had been slaughtered within the six months retention period of the scheme. He also did not notify my Department of their slaughter, nor of replacement animals, as he is required to do under the terms and conditions of the scheme. He was advised by letter of 30 April 2001 that these animals were rejected and that in fact he had been overpaid by £1,179.12 under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme and by £36.32 under the 2000 suckler cow premium scheme euro compensation. He was given the opportunity to have this decision reviewed and a reply was received by my Department on 4 May 2001 from the wife of the person named in which she stated that the person named had been ill. An officer of my Department spoke to her by telephone on 14 May 2001 and asked that medical evidence concerning her husband's illness be provided. She also requested a copy of my Department's letter of 30 April 2001 which was posted to her on the same day. To date no further reply has been received from the person named.