Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Grant Payments.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004

Thursday, 28 October 2004

Ceisteanna (282, 283, 284, 285, 286)

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

282 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2004 grants have not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26474/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person named was selected for an on-farm inspection in 2004. It was found that adequate deductions had not been made for buildings, a yard and a road. This resulted in an area over-claim of 0.65 hectares. His 2004 area aid application has been fully processed, without penalty, and with a slightly reduced area of 44.83 hectares determined for payment purposes.

Payment of the 2004 ewe premium was made to the person named on 19 October 2004. Payment of the supplementary premium and the 2004 area based compensatory allowance, which had been withheld pending clearance of the area aid application, will be made shortly.

The person named is not an applicant under the suckler cow premium scheme, nor to date under the 2004 EU special beef premium scheme. To date, the person named has no eligible animals under the 2004 EU slaughter premium scheme. However, my Department is contacting the person named regarding one animal, which was slaughtered in September, concerning the potential eligibility of that animal under the scheme.

The person named has submitted an application under the 2004 extensification premium scheme. Payments under this scheme are due to commence in June 2005. The application will be considered in due course.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

283 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Galway is entitled to an income supplement; if there are any other top-up payments available to this person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26475/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

A TB round test on 3 September 2004 disclosed one reactor animal in this person's herd of 24 cattle. The herd was restricted and it has been listed for a reactor re-test on 20 November 2004. To qualify for the income supplement grant, more than 10% of a herd must be disclosed as reactors. Since fewer than 10% of the herd was disclosed as reactors in this case, the person concerned does not qualify for income supplement.

An application form to enable the person referred to apply for a grant under the hardship grant scheme has been issued. This will be considered on receipt under the terms and conditions of the scheme.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

284 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the reason the 2001 suckler cow and other grants have not been awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26476/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

The person named stated that he wished to apply for premium on 25 animals under the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 suckler cow premium schemes, 25 being the number of quota rights on record for him. While he submitted 25 cattle identity cards with his 2001 application, he only submitted 12, 16, and 20 cattle identity cards respectively with the other applications. He has not been paid on foot of these applications because of delays in replying to queries issued to him concerning the identification and registration of some of the animals to which his application related. A final decision on eligibility for payments on the 2001 and 2002 applications will be taken in the coming week by my Department and will be notified in writing to the person named. He is being given more time to answer the queries with regard to the 2003 and 2004 applications.

The person named lodged no applications under the 2001, 2003 and 2004 EU special beef premium scheme. An application was received under the 2002 special beef premium scheme on 31 December 2002 in respect of two animals. Payment on this application cannot be processed until outstanding suckler cow queries are resolved. Eligibility for the 2001 EU slaughter premium has been determined in respect of one animal. However, payment did not issue in respect of this animal as the person named did not return a duly completed producer acknowledgement form to my Department. Should the person named return this form at this stage, payment will be considered.

With regard to the extensification premium, the person named participated in these schemes in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. For 2001 and 2002, he opted for the census system for the purposes of determining the stocking density of his holding. To be considered for payment under both years' schemes, herd owners must have submitted the CEN.1 and CEN.2 forms, declaring the numbers of bovine animals present on their holdings at each census date. The person named did not lodge these forms with his local district livestock office and, for this reason, he cannot be considered for payment of the premium. With regard to the 2003 extensification premium, the position is that the stocking density of the holding cannot be determined until the outstanding issues already highlighted with regard to the identification and registration of animals have been resolved. Payment of the extensification premium where due is based on the numbers of animals on the holding on which the herd owner in question has already qualified for payment of the suckler cow premium and-or the special beef premium. The person named has also submitted an application under the 2004 extensification premium scheme. Payments under this scheme will commence in June 2005. The application will be considered in due course.

Payments under the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 area based compensatory allowance scheme were made to the person named on 24 September 2001, 16 October 2002, 19 September 2003 and 17 September 2004 respectively. The final year payment under a REPS 1 contract issued to the person named in February 2002. He has not made an application to re-join REPS since then.

Paul Kehoe

Ceist:

285 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food when a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be granted the bullock slaughter premium; the reason for the delay in processing the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26503/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

The person named has to date lodged five applications under the 2004 EU special beef premium scheme, one on 17 February 2004 in respect of seven animals, one on 2 June 2004 in respect of eight animals, one on 21 June 2004 in respect of six animals, one on 30 August 2004 in respect of seven animals and one on 4 October 2004 in respect of 17 animals. While all applications have been processed for payment, payment has not issued due to an unresolved query relating to the 2004 area aid application lodged by the person named. The area aid unit of my Department has been in contact with the person named concerning an over-claim on the 2004 area aid application and it is expected that this matter will be resolved shortly. After this, the special beef premium applications will be processed further on the basis of the area established.

Under the 2004 EU slaughter premium scheme, 48 animals have been deemed eligible for payment to the person named. The 60% advance payment has issued in respect of 36 of these animals slaughtered between 1 January 2004 and 31 August 2004 to the amount of €1,782.00. Advance payment in respect of the 12 other eligible animals slaughtered in September is due to issue in November.

Gerard Murphy

Ceist:

286 Mr. Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the status of payments due to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; if there is a fine being imposed on their REP scheme payment; if there is a fine, if this money will be taken from payment due for beef premium moneys due, or from money due from the REP scheme. [26504/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Following a REPS compliance inspection carried out in March of this year, a penalty had to be imposed as the planned animal housing facilities had not been provided. Penalties are recovered from the next payment due to the farmer from my Department. The penalty in this instance was recovered from a dairy premium payment, the balance of which issued to the person named recently.

Barr
Roinn