The Hill Livestock (Compensatory Allowances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Witholding or recovery of compensatory allowances

15.—(1) The Department may withhold or recover on demand the whole or any part of any compensatory allowance payable or paid to a claimant in respect of the Scheme Year in any of the following circumstances—

(a) where the claimant fails to comply with the terms of an undertaking given by him pursuant to regulation 5, from which he has not been released by regulation 14;

(b) where, in the opinion of the Department, the claimant has failed to apply usual good farming practices on the eligible land on which he maintains breeding cows or ewes;

(c) where the Department has issued to the claimant a notification under regulation 10(1) or (2) and is satisfied that a condition specified in that notification has been breached, or that more breeding cows or ewes than the maximum number specified in the notification have been grazed and maintained in the Scheme Year on the parcel of land to which it relates;

(d) where the claimant fails to notify the Department in writing of the movement of a breeding cow or ewe, in accordance with regulation 13;

(e) where the claimant, or an employee, servant or agent of the claimant, intentionally obstructs an authorised person, or a person accompanying an authorised person and acting under his instructions, from exercising any power conferred by regulation 4 of the Enforcement Regulations, or fails without reasonable excuse to comply with a requirement made by an authorised person under that regulation, or a request made by an authorised person under regulation 5 of the Enforcement Regulations.

(2) Where at any time during the Scheme Year the claimant fails to comply with regulation 3(4) and (5) of the 1998 Cattle Regulations, the Department may withhold or recover on demand the whole or any part of any compensatory allowance for breeding cows payable or paid to the claimant in respect of the Scheme Year.