Agriculture Schemes Administration

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 December 2013

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Questions (318)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

318. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to change the condition in relation to fencing in order to qualify for the single farm payments and the disadvantaged area payment to exclude from the requirement to fence farmers who own open hillside that has never been fenced; where fencing requires planning permission which may not be granted; the reason for the differentiation between hill farmers who own their own land outright and farmers with undivided shares in land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51309/13]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

My Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, Disadvantaged Areas’ Scheme and other area related schemes, is required to carry out a comprehensive set of administrative and on the ground checks to ensure that all scheme requirements are fulfilled before any payment issues. As the Deputy is aware, in the case of exclusively owned land, a permanent fence will normally define the area to be measured. The fencing requirement is one of a number of measures provided for to deter fraudulent claims.

However, the situation may be different in the case of hill land. In such situations, if my Department is satisfied that as the lands in question continue to be actively farmed in the traditional manner by hill farmers in compliance with the requirements of the EU Regulations governing the Direct Payment Scheme, the issue does not arise.