Martin Ferris
Question:214 Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the lessee can claim single farm payment and other entitlements on that land. [10053/12]
View answerWednesday, 22 February 2012
Questions (211, 212, 213, 214)
Written answers
It is open to farmers, who are leasing or renting land to declare them in their annual application for the Single Payment Scheme, and if appropriate, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. In order to benefit from payment in respect of the leased/rented land, the farmer must be actively farming the land and it must form part of his or her farming enterprise. The land must meet all of the requirements set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Schemes including the requirements relating to land eligibility, definition of a land parcel, etc.
James Bannon
Question:215 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) in County Longford has been denied payment of full entitlements under the 2011 single payment scheme in respect of a penalty relating to land that was declared in good faith, as in previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10087/12]
View answerAn application under the Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 28 April 2011, following processing of which a dual claim was identified in respect one land parcel declared by the person named. Following correspondence with my Department, the person named declared he did not have the right to declare this parcel on his Single Payment Scheme. The application was then processed as per the Terms and Conditions of the Single Payment Scheme, based on the governing EU Regulations, resulting in no payment being due to the person named as the dual claimed parcels exceeded 20% of his application.
Unfortunately, given the rules of the Scheme and given that the person named confirmed that he did not have the right to claim the land in question, no payment is due to the person named under the 2011 Scheme. However, should there be any mitigating circumstances which have not been advised to my Department, the person named is, of course, free to outline these, in writing, to the SPS Payments Unit, in Portlaoise, where the case will be subject of a thorough review. If the review is not satisfactory, there is also the right to appeal the outcome of any such review to the Independent Agriculture Appeals Office.
James Bannon
Question:216 Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding an application of persons (details supplied) in County Longford under the 2011 single farm payment scheme and in particular to their over-claim on a plot of land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10088/12]
View answerAn application under the Single Payment Scheme was received from the person named on 10 May 2011, following processing of which issues arose over the reference area of one of the land parcels declared by the person named. Following consultation with the person named and a subsequent field inspection, these issues have now been resolved. The application has now been fully processed, thereby allowing payment to issue shortly, directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.
Tom Hayes
Question:217 Deputy Tom Hayes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment under the agri environment option scheme will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10155/12]
View answerThe person named was approved for participation in the Agri-Environment Options Scheme with effect from the 1st September 2010.
Under the EU Regulations governing the Scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, had to be completed before any payment could issue. During these checks a query arose in respect of land parcels declared which requires digitisation of the areas concerned. This is being dealt with by my Department at present and once the digitisation process has been completed, the application will be processed with a view to making payment at the earliest opportunity.