Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Apr 2002

Vol. 552 No. 2

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

51 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason the special beef premium applied for in November 2001 has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12112/02]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The person named submitted an application for 2001 special beef premium in respect of eleven animals, nine animals for the first age premium and two for the bull premium. The area aid application of the person named indicates that the total forage area for premia payment purposes is 26.82 hectares. This allows for premium payments up to 53.64 livestock units, at two livestock units of premium per hectare. The milk quota of 55,971 gallons of the person named utilises 63.89 livestock units and as a result he does not have adequate live stock units available to him to qualify for special beef premium.

Each producer's reckonable livestock units are obtained in respect of each calendar year as follows:

	Livestock uniteach
Male cattle up to and including 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium and bull premium:	0.6
Male cattle over 24 months old on which the producer applies for special beef premium	1.0
Ewes on which the producer applies for ewe premium	0.15
Suckler cows	1.0
Notional dairy cows	1.0

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. EU regulations governing the schemes specifically provide that animals applied on in excess of the individual's herdowners permitted stocking rate of two livestock units per hectare are deemed to be paid under the age category applied for. The application for special beef premium is stocking density exceeded and therefore the 11 animals applied for are deemed paid in the age category under which they are applied for. No payment can issue on this application.