Charles Flanagan
Question:37 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will have arrangements made to make payment in respect of an area aid application to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly. [14145/97]
Written Answers - Grant Payments.
Under the terms of the EU regulations governing area aid schemes, member states are required to take the measures necessary to avoid the situation where the conversion of existing holdings or the creation of new holdings after 30 June 1992 leads to the patently improper avoidance of the provisions relating to individual limits on eligibility for premia or setaside obligations. Therefore, any new applicants to the area aid scheme must, if requested, satisfy my Department that they are farming their declared lands entirely separately from those of any other applicant.
Following an inspection of the holding in this case, my Department is not satisfied that the individual to whom the Deputy refers is farming the lands declared in his 1996 area aid application as a separate business. In the circumstances, therefore, it is not in a position to make a payment in this case.