Willie Penrose
Ceist:177 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a 2003 extensification premium will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31107/03]
Written Answers. - Grant Payments.
Payment of 2003 extensification premium is not scheduled to commence until June 2004. The person named did not participate in the 2002 extensification premium scheme.
Willie Penrose
Ceist:178 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when 2002 and 2003 area aid will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31108/03]
The person named did not submit any applications under the 2002 special beef premium scheme.
The person named submitted one application, in respect of three first age animals, under the 2003 special beef premium scheme. Following computer validation of this application, the three tags were confirmed as not being recorded on the CMMS, cattle movement monitoring system, database as in the herd of the person named on the date of application. Officials of my Department are in correspondence with the person named regarding this matter.
One of the terms and conditions of the area-based compensatory allowance scheme is that applicants must meet a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare of the holding in the year preceding application. However, farmers who are unable to meet that minimum stocking density but who traditionally qualified for headage grants in respect of cattle and-or sheep may continue to qualify for payment, provided their land is being utilised and is not in danger of undergrazing.
The person named was not a headage recipient in 2000, and according to my Department's records the stocking density of the holding does not meet the minimum requirement. My Department wrote to the person named with a view to establishing the type of farming activity being pursued. She replied stating that she had eight cattle and six mares on her farm. An inspection was carried out on 11 December 2003. Six cattle and one mare were found at the inspection but it could not be ascertained that the cattle were registered under her herd number on the CMMS database or that the mare was registered under her name in the Irish Horse Register. A decision on payment of 2002 and 2003 area-based compensatory allowance cannot be made until ownership of the animals is established.