Michael Lowry (Tipperary North, Independent)
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Question 362: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a delayed extensification grant from 2003 will be issued to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10497/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Under the 2002 Extensification Premium Scheme, applicants qualified for the higher rate of premium where the stocking density of their holding was found to be less than 1.4 livestock units per hectare; where the stocking density was found to be 1.4 livestock units per hectare or higher, but less than 1.8 livestock units per hectare, the applicant qualified for the lower rate of Extensification Premium. An application under the 2002 Area Aid Scheme was received from the person named on 9 May 2002. This application listed a new land parcel, with a gross area of 17.40 hectare and a net area, declared by the person named, of 16.50 hectares. Following initial processing of this application, an issue arose in relation to a dual claim in respect of a portion of this parcel; however, this matter was subsequently resolved.

The Extensification Premium calculation, based on the five Census dates during 2002 and a net area of 153.24 hectares, qualified the person named for the lower rate of Extensification Premium, with a stocking density of 1.58 livestock units per hectare. Payment of this Premium issued to the person named on 26 June 2003. The payable order in question was cashed on 8 July 2003. A re-calculation of the stocking density for 2002, allowing the full benefit of the net area declared by the person named for the parcel in question of 16.50 hectares, based on the five 2002 Census dates, shows a stocking density of 1.56 livestock units per hectare i.e. qualifying for the lower rate of Extensification Premium. Therefore it can be seen that the applicant was paid the maximum amount allowable under the scheme.

The person named made a successful application under the Force Majeure/exceptional circumstances provisions of the Single Payment Scheme, seeking to have 2002 excluded for the calculations of his entitlements; his Single Payment Scheme entitlements were, therefore, calculated only on the years 2000 and 2001.