Vol. 576 No. 1
153 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the payments available for commonage under the current REP scheme; if there are top-up payments available; if so, the criteria involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29127/03]
Commonage land eligible for payment under measure A of the REPS attracts payment of €242 per hectare on the first 40 hectares, €24 per hectare for areas over 40 hectares and up to and including 80 hectares, and €18 per hectare for areas over 80 hectares and up to a maximum of 120 hectares. Where the total area of the holding qualifying for the measure A payment is less than 40 hectares, the balance of the area up to a maximum cumulative area of 40 hectares attracts the basic REPS payment of €151 per hectare.
In addition, farmers with commonage may avail of the supplementary measure for rearing animals of local breeds in danger of extinction. Under this supplementary measure, once-off payments are made in respect of registered pure-bred female progeny of a recognised breed. The payment is €400 per registered female bovine or equine and €60 per registered female ovine. The farmer must be a member of a recognised breed society and have the animal registered with that society, and the animal must be retained for 100 days after the date of lodgement of the registration certificate.
154 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will meet representatives of the retired farmers group to discuss the change in their circumstances arising from the decision to decouple payments from farm production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29153/03]
Representatives of this group met senior officials of my Department on 15 October last. They were given a comprehensive briefing on the issues affecting retired farmers arising from the introduction of the new decoupled payment system in 2005. In early November my officials wrote to the group setting down the position in detail. In the circumstances I do not believe that a further meeting would serve any useful purpose at this time.
