Written answers

Thursday, 1 July 2010

Department of Agriculture and Food

Grant Payments

10:00 pm

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will reintroduce the disadvantaged area scheme rates paid prior to the budget cuts of December 2008 in view of the drop in farming incomes since 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28866/10]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Against the background of the deterioration in public finances, my approach in preparing the 2009 Estimates for my Department was to protect expenditure for major developmental measures in the agri-food sector. To achieve this objective, savings had to be found in other areas and I decided, reluctantly, to reduce expenditure under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme for 2009 by reducing the maximum area limit to 34 hectares. While overall expenditure on the Scheme has fallen, almost 67,000 farmers have not suffered any reduction in their payments as a result of the introduction of the 34-hectare limit. The rates of payment, which were increased by 8% in 2007, remained unchanged for the 2009 Scheme.

Notwithstanding the reduction in funding, the total amount available under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme in 2009 was €220 million. This represented a substantial injection of funds to underpin incomes for farmers situated in these areas and the Scheme continues to be one of the best-funded Disadvantaged Areas Schemes in the European Union.

The rates of aid for the 2010 Scheme have already been set and are as follows:

Less Severely Handicapped Lowland and Coastal Areas with Specific Handicap: €82.27 per forage hectare;

More Severely Handicapped Lowland: €95.99 per forage hectare;

Mountain Type Grazing: €109.71 per forage hectare on first 10 hectares, or part thereof, and €95.99 per hectare on remaining forage hectares.

The application period for the 2011 Scheme will open in early 2011 and no decisions have not yet been taken at this stage on this Scheme.

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 266: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the delay in issuing payment to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon under the 2009 suckler cow welfare scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28967/10]

Photo of Brendan SmithBrendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The person named has 13 animals for consideration under the 2009 Suckler Welfare Scheme. It is a condition of this Scheme that for herds of more than 10 cows the calves must be weaned in at least two separate groups with each group being removed at a minimum interval of five days. The person named weaned all animals on 14/11/09 and consequently did not comply with this condition. Therefore, the person named is not eligible for payment, as per the Terms and Conditions governing the Scheme.

In addition, several other errors have been identified with a number of the animals following the validation process initiated by my Department. Officials from my Department have been in contact with the person named on 11 May 2010. The applicant was requested to submit written clarification regarding the overall position but no letter has been received to date.

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