Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Nov 2001

Vol. 545 No. 1

Written Answers. - Grant Payments.

John McGuinness

Question:

149 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development further to previous parliamentary questions and the Department letter of 13 February 2001 area aid unit, when area aid will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [29606/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

The parliamentary questions and letter refer to a 1998 area aid application submitted by the person named. The application included a parcel of land which was also claimed by another herdowner who was able to provide documentary proof that he was renting the parcel. Accordingly, this parcel was included in the other applicant's entitlement. However no area aid penalty was applied to the person named as the error was treated as a genuine mistake and his application was processed excluding the parcel concerned.

While the 1999 and 2000 area aid applications have been cleared, there are queries on parcels in the 2001 application and the person named has been written to about these and a response is awaited. His 2001 area aid application cannot be finalised until these matters are resolved.

Any payments due to the person must be withheld to the extent necessary to offset an overpayment made to him under the rural environment protection scheme. My Department notified the person named of this in November 2000.