Written answers

Wednesday, 13 April 2005

Department of Agriculture and Food

Grant Payments

9:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 218: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the action she is taking to address the SBP overshoot; if there is a legal entitlement to recoup an overshoot in the 21 month premium; the discussions she has had with the EU commission regarding the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11360/05]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Ireland's quota under the special beef premium scheme is 1,077,458 animals, comprising animals in the bull-first age categories. Under the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No 1254/1999, where the quota is breached in respect of the bull-first age category, the overshoot must also be applied to the second age category animals. This is not a new provision and it also applied when the overshoot reduction was applied in respect of the 2002 scheme.

The extent of the overshoot of the national quota for the special beef premium scheme and the numbers of farmers who will receive a reduced payment can only be definitively established when all applications are fully processed. This processing involves computer validation and, where errors or inconsistencies are highlighted in such validation, those cases require individual attention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that given the volumes of applications involved, it will take further time to establish the definitive level of quota overshoot, as ineligible animals and animals applied on in excess of each applicant's stocking density limit of 1.8 livestock units per hectare will have to be excluded from the overshoot calculation.

My objective is to make balancing payments to special beef, suckler cow and slaughter premium applicants, affected by the quota excess, at an early date based on an estimated special beef premium scheme overshoot. A final residual payment can issue in respect of the special beef premium when the exact quota position has been established.

I will continue to explore all aspects of the quota overshoot problem, bearing in mind the provisions of the EU governing regulations for the special beef premium scheme.

Some 220,000 balancing payments totalling over €98 million have already issued to farmers under the 2004 suckler cow, special beef and slaughter premium schemes — these payments have been made to farmers who applied for no more than 25 special beef premium animals.

Photo of Jim O'KeeffeJim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the level of single payment will be reviewed for a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [11487/05]

Photo of Mary CoughlanMary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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A certificate of provisional entitlements under the single payment scheme issued to the person named on 7 October 2004. This statement included a detailed breakdown of how the provisional entitlements were calculated.

Farmers are advised that, if not satisfied that the statement is correct, they may seek a review by completing a provisional entitlements review form which is available from all local offices of my Department and from my Department's website.

To date a review form has not been received from the person named.

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