Written answers

Tuesday, 15 November 2011

Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food

Grant Payments

9:00 pm

Photo of John BrowneJohn Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 526: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when both single farm payments and disadvantaged area payments will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [34742/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application under the 2011 Single Payment/Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 4 April 2011. The 50% advance of the Single Payment and full payment of the Disadvantaged Areas payment issued to the applicant on 19 October and 26 October 2011 respectively.

Photo of Paul ConnaughtonPaul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 527: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when will the final instalment of the farm waste management scheme be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34748/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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An application for grant-aid under the Farm Waste Management Scheme was received in the name of the person named who is unfortunately now deceased. Two instalments of grant-aid in respect of this application have been paid by my Department. However, no further payments can be made in respect of the application until the documentation which has been requested by the Inheritance Enquiry Unit in my Department has been received.

Photo of Paul ConnaughtonPaul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 528: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway has been refused a hardship grant for a reactor herd, in view of the fact that the reactor was in the name of the herd keeper and the herd keeper is the beneficiary of the farm income, as payments are paid into their sole account; his plans to change the regime in order that the herd keeper and not just the herd number owner can benefit from the hardship fund; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34749/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Hardship Grant Scheme is aimed at assisting eligible herdowners whose holding are restricted and where animals are retained and fed during the eligibility period 1 November to 30 April. The terms and conditions of the scheme state that an owner/keeper, or either party in the case of joint/multiple ownership, cannot be in receipt of any off farm income at the time of application or at any time during the eligibility period. In this case, the registered herdowner of the holding in question submitted an application under the TB Eradication, Hardship Grant Scheme 2011/2012 but, since she is in receipt of off farm income she is ineligible for payment under the scheme. The "Herdowner" role denotes the company, entity or person(s) associated with a specific herd number to whom any payments are made.

The person in question is registered as "keeper" and, since this role does not indicate ownership of the herd, he cannot apply for the Hardship Grant as "keeper". There are no plans at present to change this aspect of the scheme. I should explain that it is open to all herdowners/ keepers to apply for a change in their registered status. Herdowners who have applied under the Hardship scheme and are found to be ineligible may reapply during the eligibility period should their circumstances change but any payment under this scheme will be by reference to the date of receipt of the eligible application in the District Veterinary Office and cannot be backdated.

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