Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 February 2014
174. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding over-claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6122/14]
View answerThe Deputy will be fully aware of the value of the EU funded Direct Payment Schemes to Ireland. Each year farmers in Ireland benefit from funding of over €1.5 billion under Schemes such as the Single Farm Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the Agri-Environment Schemes, etc. This comprises the entire net income of many thousands of Irish farmers.
The European Commission has an obligation to ensure that Member States manage and use the EU funding granted to them in accordance with the very restrictive provisions governing the Schemes and general financial provisions. Under the Common Agricultural Policy, this is done by way of a Clearance of Accounts procedure. This is a formal process and both the Commission and Member States are obliged to adhere to the requirements laid down in the legislation. In the case of Ireland, the Clearance procedure is currently covering five financial years involving the 2008 to 2012 scheme-years. In that regard, I can assure the Deputy that every effort is being made to ensure that Ireland’s case and the position of Irish farmers is strenuously argued to avoid the types of disallowances that have been common in other Member States.
I would like to confirm that each year my Department forwards maps, Terms and Conditions and covering explanatory letters to all applicants. In all of the documentation forwarded, it is made very clear to farmers that they should not claim on any ineligible land or features such as houses, buildings, farmyards, lakes, bogs or scrub etc. In processing the applications under the Single Farm Payment Scheme and other Direct Aid Schemes, my Department is legally obliged to adhere to the requirements set out in the EU Regulations governing each of the Schemes. It is not possible to deviate from the provisions of these schemes. If an applicant over-declared his or her area in the application the provisions of the Regulations must be respected in relation to the calculation of deductions and penalties.
I am fully aware of the outcome of the review on individual cases particularly on the cases, where the level of ineligible area over-declared was greater than 20% and no payment is due to the applicants. My Department arranged to write individually to each of these applicants outlining the situation and attaching maps illustrating the ineligible features. In addition, these applicants were given details of a contact telephone number and informed that their farm would be visited by a Department official to verify the level of the over-declaration. If the level of over-declaration was over-stated, the matter will be corrected and if the revised over-declaration is less than 20%, the appropriate payment can be made to the applicants in question.
If applicants are not happy with the outcome of the verification visit, they can submit an appeal to the Independent LPIS Appeals Committee, chaired by Mr Pádraig Gibbons.
