Single Payment Scheme Payments

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2013

Tuesday, 5 November 2013

Questions (865)

John O'Mahony

Question:

865. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the appeals procedure that is applied in the event of a farmer having their single farm payment reduced or withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45684/13]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Under the Direct Aid Schemes, farmers are obliged to declare only eligible land when making their applications, are to exclude ineligible features, such as roads, buildings, dense scrub, etc. These claims are then recorded on my Department’s Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS). Given the importance of the LPIS database in underpinning direct aid payments worth in excess of €1.5 billion annually, my Department is obliged under EU Regulations to ensure its accuracy, which is done on an ongoing basis via ground inspections, remotely via satellite imagery, review of ortho-photography and by the corrections and adjustments made by individual farmers.

Following consultation with the EU Commission, as part of the normal Clearance of Accounts process, my Department was requested to undertake a complete review of the LPIS database. This process is currently underway. It has proven necessary to adjust land parcels where it was established that some ineligible features had been included.

While farmers have the normal course of appeal within my Department in the first instance, mindful of the impact on some individuals, I decided to establish a dedicated Appeals Committee, to allow for further, independent, review.

It is appropriate that provision be made for an independent appeals process, in order that those, whose appeals are initially not successful, may be afforded the opportunity to appeal my Department’s decision. I am very pleased to say that Mr Padraig Gibbons, Chairman of Aurivo (formerly known as Connacht Gold), has agreed to chair the new Appeals Committee, which will also comprise of Appeals Officers from the Agriculture Appeals Office in Portlaoise. This new Appeals Committee will deal with appeals from farmers in an independent, fair and comprehensive manner.