Vol. 573 No. 4
148 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding the eligibility of male calves born between 1 May and 26 June 2003; if an undertaking (details supplied) on the cards will be fulfilled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25453/03]
161 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the situation with respect to premia payments on calves born between 1 May and 26 June 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25463/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 161 together.
Animals that were born between 1 May 2003 and 26 June 2003 would, in the normal course of events, have been eligible for the second age premium in 2005 under the terms of the special beef premium scheme, subject to compliance with the full terms of the scheme. However, the EU Council of Ministers agreed the terms of the Luxembourg Agreement from 26 June 2003, which provided the legal basis for member states to adopt various options to decouple direct payments. Following an extensive public consultative process I recently announced my intention to fully decouple all direct payments from production with effect from 1 January 2005. The implication of that decision is that individual farmers with an established entitlement will in future receive premiums in the form of a single direct payment rather than the existing coupled payment. As a result there is no provision that would allow the second age premium to be paid in 2005 to those farmers with male animals born in the aforementioned period.
