Vol. 542 No. 6
147 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason payment for 1997 headage has not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25658/01]
A duplicate copy of a 1997 cattle headage scheme application was received from the person named on 30 December 1997 together with a certificate of posting in respect of his 1997 area aid application. He was written to by my Department on 7 January 1998 advising him that there was no record of his application under the 1997 cattle headage scheme. He was given the opportunity to have this decision reviewed. He replied on 14 January 1998 stating that he personally delivered his application to the livestock office of the Department in Cavan. He was written to in June 1998 informing him that in the absence of a certificate of posting or other positive proof of lodgement of his application he was not eligible to participate in the scheme. He was given the opportunity to appeal this decision by writing to the headage and premia appeals unit, Agriculture House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, within 21 days. The person named appealed the decision in writing to the appeals unit on 10 June 1998. He was written to on the 9 February 1999 advising him that his appeal was unsuccessful.
148 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason payment for headage has not been made to a person (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25659/01]
A herdowner must submit a valid area aid application for the relevant year in order to be considered for payment of disadvantaged areas compensatory allowance scheme. No area aid application was received from the person named for the year 2001 and consequently no disadvantaged areas compensatory allowance scheme payment can be made for the year in question.
149 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the position regarding the payment of sheep and cattle subsidies for a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; when a payment will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25662/01]
The person named claimed a total of 9.48 hectares on his 2000 area aid application. When his application details were entered on the Department's electronic database one parcel overlapped with that of another herdowner and one other parcel was overclaimed. An area of 7.78 hectares was determined which is a difference of 1.94 hectares or 21.85%. Under article 9 of EU Regulation 3887/92 when the difference is over 20%, a 100% penalty must be applied in respect of the 2000 beef premium and sheep headage schemes.
Payments totalling £1,437.42 under the 2000 ewe premium/rural world premium, special beef premium, slaughter premium and sheep headage schemes had issued prior to the area aid over declaration coming to light. As the person named had an entitlement to his ewe premium/rural world premium of £493.85 and slaughter premium of £68.04 only, the difference of £875.53 must be recovered. To date a sum of £786.86 has been recovered from entitlements under the various 2001 schemes leaving a balance of £88.67 to be recovered. My Department will write to the person named setting out the position in detail.
