Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 16 January 2013
852. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person who purchases land that has no single payment entitlements will be entitled to claim the disadvantaged areas scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58048/12]
View answerI can confirm that eligibility under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is separate from eligibility under the Single Payment Scheme and, specifically, that the absence of Single Payment entitlements does not, of itself, disbar a person from consideration under the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
In order to be eligible for payment under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme an applicant was required, in his/her own right, to:
- Be a person aged 18 years or over;
- Hold a valid Herd Number issued by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine;
- Occupy and farm in ones own right and at ones own risk a minimum of 3 hectares of forage land, situated in an area within the State designated as a Disadvantaged Area and classified as Less Severely Handicapped Lowland or as a Coastal Area with Specific Handicaps or as More Severely Handicapped Lowland or as Mountain Type Grazing;
- Submit a valid 2012 Single Payment Scheme application form; Undertake to farm and manage the land applied on in 2012, for the full calendar year;
- Undertake to remain in farming in a Disadvantaged Area for 5 years from the date of the first payment of a Disadvantaged Areas Scheme payment;
- Comply with Cross Compliance requirements as set down in EU legislation (Directives and Regulation) on the environment, food safety, animal health and welfare, and plant health and must maintain the farm in good agricultural and environmental condition (GAEC);
- Have a holding that meets the minimum stocking levels for 2012 as specified; In relation to any mountain commonage that is farmed, be a participant under REPS/AEOS or any National Scheme that may be in place or be compliant with the relevant Commonage Framework Plan;
- Co-operate fully with Department staff, or its’ Agents, in relation to any inspection or any request for documentation;
- No payment shall be made in favour of beneficiaries for whom it is established that they artificially created the conditions required for obtaining such payments with a view to obtaining an advantage contrary to the objectives of that support scheme.
